Goa club fire: Luthra brothers flee to Thailand, Blue Corner Notice issued

Saurabh Luthra

A beach shack linked to the Luthra brothers, owners of ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’, the Goa nightclub where a fire killed 25 people last week, will be demolished this afternoon, PTI reported, quoting Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.

The ‘Romeo Lane’ shack in Vagator will be razed after 3 pm, reported NDTV. The structure was sealed earlier for allegedly being built on government-owned land.

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra left India for Thailand three hours after the deadly fire. Police have charged them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and conspiracy, but the brothers have not contacted investigators since leaving the country. Their exit came to light only when Delhi Police reached their home and found they had boarded an IndiGo flight to Phuket, an act officers believe was meant to avoid arrest.

The Chief Minister’s office has confirmed that Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice seeking information from member nations on the brothers’ whereabouts and movements during the investigation, the report added.

The Luthra brothers’ rise was swift. Their first venture, ‘Mama’s Buoi’ in Delhi’s Civil Lines, became a popular hangout for college students after its launch in 2016. They followed it with ‘Dramebaaz’, a fast food outlet, and then ‘Romeo Lane’, a nightclub chain that quickly made them one of Delhi’s most talked-about hospitality duos. Their Goa club, ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’, positioned as “India’s first island club”, opened months later.

Investigators now describe the venue as a disaster-in-waiting. Photos from before the blaze showed extensive bamboo decor, including on the ceiling, which helped the fire spread rapidly. The club sat in the middle of a waterbody with only a narrow walkway connecting it to land, blocking fire engines from reaching the spot. Firefighters said they had to stop around 400 metres away, slowing rescue efforts.

The probe also found the club had no fire safety clearance. Fire extinguishers and alarms were missing despite the venue hosting more than 100 people on peak nights.