Goa Nightclub Fire: Manager Bharat And 4 Others Held, Owner Saurabh Luthra Still Absconding
Police have arrested another key person in the Goa nightclub fire case, which killed 25 people on Saturday night.
According to India Today, on Monday, officers detained Bharat, a manager linked to the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora.
Bharat handled the daily operations of the club and was present during most working hours, according to the Police.
As per NIA, the other four people were arrested on Saturday and were taken from the Anjuna Police Station for their medical check-ups.
The arrested men are Chief General Manager Rajiv Modak, Gate Manager Priyanshu Thakur, Bar Manager Rajveer Singhania, and General Manager Vivek Singh.
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However, the main accused, nightclub owner Saurabh Luthra, is still absconding. Police teams in Goa and Delhi are searching for him, but he has not been found yet. The fire, which also left six people injured, has become one of Goa’s worst club tragedies in recent years.
The nightclub owner, Saurabh Luthra, is known for running several popular restaurants and bars across India.
His LinkedIn profile describes him as the “Chairman of Romeo Lane, Birch, and Mama’s Buoi.” Until last year, he had plans to open 50 restaurants nationwide. But many people who know him say he is rarely present at his own outlets.
Goa-based activist Tahir Noronha called Luthra “like a ghost” because he often avoids legal issues and sends others to handle problems on his behalf.
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Many staff members and regular visitors also described him as aloof and disconnected from the safety and daily functioning of his clubs. A kitchen staff member, Jayesh Diukar, who survived the fire, said Luthra visited the club only once a month and hardly spoke to employees.
According to eyewitnesses, there were 100 to 200 people inside the club when the fire began. Some people rushed down to the kitchen area to escape, but got trapped along with the kitchen staff.
Most of the victims were kitchen workers, including three women, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant confirmed. There were also “three to four tourists” among the dead.
The police said the fire may have started due to a cylinder blast, but some tourists claimed the flames first erupted on the first floor, where many people were dancing.
Authorities continue to search for owner Saurabh Luthra, while survivor accounts, staffing issues, and safety failures raise more questions about how such a tragedy unfolded inside one of Goa’s busiest nightlife spots.
(With inputs from India Today)
