New Delhi: The Patiala House Court on Tuesday granted the Goa Police transit remand of nightclub owners Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, clearing the way for the brothers to be taken to Goa in connection with the deadly fire at their establishment.
Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Twinkle Chawla allowed a 48-hour transit remand, permitting the police to escort the accused to Goa and produce them before the jurisdictional court there. The Goa Police had sought a three-day transit remand, arguing that additional time was required for safe transportation and procedural formalities, but the court limited the period to two days.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, advocate Surjendu Shankar Das said the order had been passed and that the brothers were expected to be flown to Goa at the earliest, likely on a flight scheduled for Wednesday morning.
While allowing the application, the court also directed the Goa Police to ensure that both accused are provided with their prescribed medication during the transit period.
The Luthra brothers were produced before the Patiala House Court after being brought to Delhi by the Goa Police, who arrested them upon their arrival in India. Investigators then moved the court seeking transit remand to take the accused to Goa, where a case has been registered against them.
According to the prosecution, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra allegedly left the country in the early hours of December 7, hours after a massive fire broke out at their nightclub, ‘Birch by Romeo Lane,’ in North Goa’s Arpora area. The blaze, which occurred on December 6, killed 25 people and injured several others.
The case against the brothers stems from allegations of negligence, including failure to comply with mandatory safety regulations and the absence of adequate fire-fighting systems at the nightclub. Based on preliminary findings, the Goa Police registered criminal charges against the owners soon after the incident.
Earlier, a Delhi court had refused the brothers’ plea for transit anticipatory bail. The accused had sought temporary protection from arrest to facilitate their return to India and allow them to pursue legal remedies, including approaching courts in Goa. The Rohini Court rejected the request, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the need for an effective investigation.
