Goa nightclub fire case: Delhi court rejects anticipatory bail for Luthra brothers

A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where at least 25 people died in a devastating fire on December 6, 2025.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant told PTI that both the CBI and Goa Police are working to ensure the Luthra brothers — currently detained in Thailand — are brought back to India at the earliest.

The process for their deportation has been initiated, and the external affairs ministry is examining a request from the Goa government to revoke their passports. The duo left India shortly after the blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora.

Flight Booked Within an Hour of Fire

Goa Police told the court that the brothers booked flight tickets to Phuket at 1.17 am on December 7, barely an hour after learning of the fire, even as emergency crews were battling the inferno. Investigators said the pair not only fled but also misled authorities regarding their departure time.

“There is no cooperation on the part of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, which disentitles them for extraordinary protection by this court… They misled the court, misled the authorities, and left the country,” police told the court, as quoted by ANI.

Charges and Defence

The Luthra brothers face accusations of injury-causing death, manslaughter, and murder for allegedly organising a fire show “without taking proper care and caution and without providing fire safety equipment.”

Their legal team argued that they did not flee but were on a business trip, claiming they were mere licensees and not the owners, with day-to-day operations handled by staff. A New Delhi court had already refused interim protection from arrest a day earlier.

Meanwhile, the Goa Police have arrested five managers and staff members linked to the nightclub as the investigation continues.