A Goa court on Monday extended the police custody of nightclub owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra by five days in connection with the fatal fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub that claimed 25 lives earlier this month.
The brothers, who are among the prime accused in the case, were produced before the court after their earlier remand period ended. They had fled to Thailand following the December 6 blaze and were deported to India on December 17.
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing the families of the victims, said the court allowed the police plea seeking additional custodial interrogation of the Luthra siblings. “The court has extended the police custody of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra by five days,” he said.
In the same proceedings, the court remanded Ajay Gupta, another co-owner of the nightclub, to judicial custody, as the police did not seek an extension of his custodial remand, Joshi added.
Also read: Goa nightclub fire: Blue corner notice against Khosla
The Anjuna police have registered a case against the Luthra brothers under charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with other relevant offences, in connection with alleged safety lapses at the establishment.
So far, eight persons have been arrested in the case as the investigation continues into the circumstances that led to one of the deadliest nightclub fires in the state.
Police have also initiated steps to issue a Blue Corner Notice against British national Surinder Kumar Khosla, another accused who is believed to have fled to the United Kingdom.
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