Goa Police expect Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra — co-owners of Birch by Ro meo Lane, where 25 people died in a fire on December 6 — to be brought back to the State by December 16 or 17, senior officials said on Friday. The brothers, who left for Phuket shortly after the inci dent, were detained in Thai land following intervention by the Indian Embassy. Their passports have been revoked, and they are currently held in a Bangkok detention facility. With no direct flights be tween Thailand and Goa, they are likely to be moved from Bangkok to Delhi by Mon day, after which Goa Police will take custody and bring them to the State for fur ther interrogation and legal proceedings. Government sources con firmed that Thai authorities have initiated deportation procedures in coordination with Indian agencies. “The Thai authorities are acting as per their local laws, including steps to send the two individ uals back to India,” an official said. The Indian Embassy in Bangkok remains in close contact with its counterparts to expedite the process.
On the custodial side, police on Friday secured a six day extension of custody for 49-year-old Bharat Kohli, a resident of Punjabi Basti in Delhi who allegedly oversaw the nightclub’s daily operations on behalf of the owners. Kohli, arrested on December 8, is regarded as a key link in the operational chain behind the illegalities at Birch. He is among six persons arrested so far, including Chief General Manager Rajiv Modak, General Manager Vivek Singh, Rajiv Singhania, Gate Manager Diyansu Thakur and co-owner Ajay Gupta. Investigators said more than 50 statements have been recorded to date from officials, staff and victims as mul tiple enquiry threads move simultaneously. Police reiter ated that the case remains a high-priority investigation, with further action expected in the coming days. Developments also unfolded in the courts, where the North Goa Sessions Court in Mapusa issued notices on anticipatory bail applications filed by Arpora Panchayat Sarpanch RoshanRedkar and suspended Panchayat Secre tary RaghuvirBagkar. The duo had secured interim protec tion from arrest on December 11, with the court directing Anjuna Police to file their responses. Investigators have sought additional time to prepare a detailed reply, and the court has granted time until December 16, when argu ments will resume. In a separate development, the North Goa District Mag istrate has summoned the Member Secretary of the Goa State Pollution Control Board, Saligao, to appear before the Magisterial Inquiry Committee probing the incident. The official has been directed to present all relevant doc uments, records and materials, and to deliver a truthful statement regarding the Board’s role and actions connect ed to the fire-ravaged establishment
