A court in North Goa remanded nightclub owners Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra to five days of police custody in connection with the Birch by Romeo Lane fire that killed 25 people. The brothers were produced in court after multiple medical examinations
One of the Luthra brothers being taken by the police personnel to court. (Pic/PTI)
After the Luthra brothers were brought to Goa, a local court on Wednesday remanded Gaurav and Saurabh in police custody for five days, news agency PTI reported.
The co-owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, who were brought on transit remand from Delhi after being deported from Thailand in connection with the December 6 blaze that killed 25, were produced in the court after undergoing health check-ups twice at the District Hospital in North Goa.
The Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mapusa, Puja Sardesai, remanded the two brothers in police custody for five days.
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing Bhavana Joshi, who lost four family members in the tragedy, said that the accused were asking for “special consideration”, claiming poor health, PTI reported.
Joshi asserted, “We said they should not be given any extra relaxation.” He further added that the court has taken cognisance of the fact that this is about the death of 25 people in the form of mass genocide."
“But since they kept pressing for a medical check-up, the court ordered a reexamination of their health. It is clear in the medical examination that they don't require any consideration. The accused sought special considerations in the lock-up, like a good mattress, which the court refused,” he added.
A team of Goa Police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am on Wednesday.
They were initially taken to a primary health centre at Siolim for medical examination, and from there to the district hospital at Mapusa, PTI reported. After their medical examination, the two were brought to the court.
The court directed that the accused be sent for a fresh medical examination. Accordingly, the two were again taken to the district hospital.
Later, they were produced before Judge Sardesai, who sent the duo to five-day police custody. After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna Police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers for various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Luthra brothers were detained in Thailand
The Luthra brothers were earlier arrested in Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand. A court in Delhi allowed the Goa Police their two-day transit remand.
The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.
They were detained by the Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.
(With inputs from PTI)
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