Bulldozers Move In on Luthras’ Romeo Lane Shack in Goa’s Vagator After Deadly Arpora Fire

Goa authorities on Tuesday evening began demolishing Romeo Lane, the Vagator beach shack owned by brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, following orders issued by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Visuals circulating on social media, and reports from PTI, showed personnel and machinery at the site as the razing commenced.

The action comes amid an expanding search for the Luthra brothers, who fled to Thailand hours after a fire ripped through their nightclub-cum-restaurant, Birch by Romeo Lane, late Saturday, killing 25 people.

Brothers Escaped to Phuket Hours After Blaze

According to Goa Police, the brothers boarded an IndiGo flight from New Delhi to Phuket at 5:30 am on Sunday, barely hours after the tragedy. A lookout notice had already been coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration.

“Both the accused had taken flight 6E 1073 (New Delhi to Phuket) at 5:30am on 7th December,” said Nilesh Rane, deputy superintendent of police and PRO.

Indian agencies are now working with Thai authorities to geolocate the duo in Phuket and secure their deportation based on an arrest warrant—an attempt to avoid a longer extradition process. A police team that visited the brothers’ north Delhi home on Monday said they were not found there.

The Deadly Arpora Blaze

The fire at Birch by Romeo Lane swept through the 300 sq m establishment around 11:45 pm on Saturday. Of the 25 victims, 20 were staff members and five were tourists, including four from a Delhi family.

Goa Police registered an FIR at 9:30 am on Sunday, booking the Luthra brothers and unidentified others under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for:

• Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (Section 105)

• Endangering life and personal safety (Sections 125(a)(b))

• Negligent handling of fire or combustible materials (Section 287)

Four staffers—chief general manager Rajiv Modak, gate manager Priyanshu Thakur, bar manager Rajveer Singhania, and general manager Vivek Singh—were arrested on Sunday. A fifth person, Bharat Singh Kohli, who was managing day-to-day operations on behalf of the owners, was arrested on Monday.