Luthra Brothers Managed their Escape to Thailand even as Rescue Operations were On
NEW DELHI, Dec 10: The probe into the nightclub inferno in Goa — a fire that killed at least 25 people on the night of December 6 — has uncovered new evidence indicating that the owners, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, booked flight tickets to Thailand at the very moment emergency services were trying to control the blaze and rescue trapped persons.
Officials have confirmed that the Luthra brothers logged onto the MakeMyTrip (MMT) travel platform at 1:17 AM on December 7, while Goa Police and Fire Services teams were still engaged in rescue operations at the Arpora-based nightclub. Hours later, immigration records show the two boarded IndiGo flight 6E 1073 to Phuket, departing Delhi at 5:30 AM.
In Delhi, the Rohini Court on Wednesday heard the transit anticipatory bail plea filed by the brothers. The petition sought four weeks of protection from arrest, as well as interim relief, to allow them to return to Delhi from Thailand without facing immediate custody.
Ajay Gupta, one of the four owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane establishment, was produced before a Delhi magistrate by the Goa Police team stationed in the capital. Gupta had earlier been declared missing, prompting the issuance of a Look Out Circular (LOC) after police could not locate him at his residence.
He was detained in Delhi and, after a medical examination, will be taken to Goa to face arrest and questioning. Another co-owner, Surinder Kumar Khosla, a British national, is also under an LOC, according to police. Fresh revelations have surfaced concerning the mobile phone used by the Luthra brothers. The SIM card used by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra was issued under the name of Ram Hari Singh, a former driver employed by the family.
An investigation on Wednesday revealed that Singh was not present at the address linked to the mobile number. Reached by phone later, Singh confirmed he had worked as a driver for Siddharth Luthra for two years, until he was dismissed when the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed in 2020. He said he was never recalled after the lockdown ended.
Singh further stated that he has had no contact with the Luthras for five years and was unaware that any SIM card existed in his name. Investigators have also discovered discrepancies regarding vehicles owned by the family. According to sources, the Luthra brothers owned three cars until 2020. Before their escape, they reportedly possessed more than four luxury vehicles. All these vehicles are now missing. Police are examining whether the cars were removed deliberately prior to their departure for Thailand.
The family’s large, recently constructed house in Goa — built at a cost running into crores two years ago — has been deserted since the nightclub fire. Only a dog was found inside the premises. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice remains active against both brothers.
(Manas Dasgupta)
