Luthra brothers (File photo)
NEW DELHI: A Goa court on Wednesday sent Saurav Luthra and Gaurav Luthra to 5-day police custody in connection with the devastating fire at an Arpora club venue. The Luthra brothers are the owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, which was engulfed in fire that claimed 25 lives.The brothers were produced before the Mapusa Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court after being brought back to Goa from Thailand. The court remanded them to police custody to allow investigators to question them about the circumstances leading to the blaze and alleged safety lapses at the club.Before being produced in court, the duo underwent multiple medical examinations. After landing at Manohar International Airport, Mopa, around 10.45 am under police escort, they were first taken to a primary health centre in Siolim and later to the District Hospital in Mapusa for health check-ups. On court directions, they were again sent for a fresh medical examination before being presented before JMFC Puja Sardesai, who ordered five days of police custody. The fire broke out on December 6 around 11.45 pm during a crowded event at the nightclub, when electric firecrackers allegedly struck the wooden ceiling, triggering a massive blaze. 25 people, including tourists and staff, lost their lives, while several others were injured. According to the police, the brothers fled India within hours of the incident. They left for Thailand on December 7, even as rescue operations were under way and a criminal case was registered against them at the Anjuna police station. Goa Police subsequently launched a nationwide and international manhunt, issuing a lookout circular and seeking an Interpol Blue Notice.After their passports were suspended by the ministry of external affairs, Thai authorities detained the brothers in Phuket for illegal stay. They were later deported to India on emergency travel documents issued by the Indian embassy. The duo landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday, where they were arrested by Goa Police and produced before a Delhi court, which granted a 48-hour transit remand.Police have booked them under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence.Investigators have also arrested several others linked to the nightclub’s operations and are probing allegations that the venue was operating with expired licences and without mandatory safety clearances.