A group of police officials stand outside the premises of the Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub in northern Goa where a deadly blaze killed 25 people in the early hours of Sunday.
Investigators say they raided the brothers’ Delhi home hours after the fire but found they had fled the country. Police then sought Interpol’s help to track them.
Two brothers wanted in connection with a deadly fire at their nightclub in India’s Goa state, which killed 25 people, have reportedly been detained in Thailand, India’s ambassador to Thailand, Nagesh Singh, told the BBC.
According to BBC, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, who own Birch By Romeo Lane club, fled to Phuket, shortly after the incident earlier this week.
“They will be sent back [to India],” Singh said on Thursday, a day after a court in Delhi refused to grant them protection from arrest and the Goa government approached India’s external affairs ministry to revoke their passports.
The brothers said that they “never intended to evade” the law and they will cooperate with authorities on returning to India.
The incident took place early on Sunday, when a deadly blaze broke out at the club in a busy nightlife area of the tourist state.
Investigators believe the fire was triggered by fireworks being set off inside the venue.
Most of the victims were staff members, while five were tourists.
Investigators say they raided the brothers’ Delhi home hours after the fire but found they had fled the country. Police then sought Interpol’s help to track them.
The Luthra brothers have issued a statement through their lawyer saying they shall return to India on Thursday and “submit themselves to the jurisdiction of the police authorities and the judicial system” of the country.
“We undertake to co-operate with the police authorities,” they said.
Saurabh Luthra, whose social media identifies him as the chairman of the company which operates the club, posted a statement on social media on Monday expressing “profound grief”.
“The management stands in unwavering solidarity with the families of the deceased as well as those injured,” he wrote, adding that the nightclub’s management would provide “assistance, support and cooperation to the bereaved”.
Read Also: Nightclub Fire Kills 25 People In India
On Wednesday, Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the police has arrested six persons in connection with the incident so far, adding that “more arrests will be made soon”.
Goa is a former Portuguese colony on the Arabian Sea. Its nightlife, sandy beaches, and resorts attract millions of tourists annually. — BBC via SG.
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