NEW DELHI: Indian police said on Tuesday (Dec 16) that they had arrested the owners of a nightclub where 25 people died in a blaze in tourist hub Goa, after they were extradited from Thailand.
Brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled on a flight to Phuket in Thailand soon after the incident on Dec 7, before police raided their residence in New Delhi.
Goa Police said in a statement they had “taken custody of the absconding accused” upon their arrival in New Delhi.
The duo would likely be taken to Goa, where charges would be filed against them over the deaths of 25 people, including four Nepali citizens.
Goa, a former Portuguese colony on the shores of the Arabian Sea, lures millions of tourists every year with its nightlife, sandy beaches and laid-back atmosphere.
India’s foreign ministry had suspended the owners’ passports soon after they fled, and sought their extradition from authorities in Thailand.
The brothers were detained in Phuket on Dec 11 and deported to India on Tuesday.
The blaze at the club was likely caused by “electrical firecrackers”, officials said, with most people dying due to suffocation in the basement and kitchen area after wooden parts of the venue caught fire.
Fires are common in India due to poor building practices, overcrowding and lack of safety regulations.
Source: CNA
