Goa CM orders demolition of Romeo Lane after nightclub fire
What's the story
Authorities in Goa have begun demolishing Romeo Lane, the Vagator beach shack, owned by brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, according to ANI. The demolition comes after a devastating fire at their other establishment, Birch by Romeo Lane, killed 25 people over the weekend. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had ordered the demolition following the incident.
Twitter Post
Visuals of demolition
#WATCH | Goa: A portion of the Romeo Lane restaurant located in the Vagator area is being demolished. It is owned by Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, who also own Birch by Romeo Lane, where a fire tragedy claimed 25 lives on December 7.
— ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2025
"We will demolish the encroachment on the… pic.twitter.com/YoZHQgg6cy
Flight details
Luthra brothers fled to Thailand after fire
The Luthra brothers reportedly fled to Thailand shortly after the fire. They took a New Delhi-Phuket IndiGo flight at 5:30am on Sunday, just hours after the blaze. Goa Police have issued a lookout notice with the Bureau of Immigration in connection with their escape.
Deportation efforts
Indian agencies seek Luthra brothers' deportation from Thailand
Indian agencies are now trying to coordinate with Thai authorities to locate the Luthra brothers in Phuket. They are seeking their deportation based on an arrest warrant, which would be a quicker process than extradition. Police teams who visited the Luthras's north Delhi residence on Monday reported they could not find them there.
Tragic incident
Fire at Birch by Romeo Lane claims 25 lives
The fire at Birch by Romeo Lane broke out around 11:45pm on Saturday. It engulfed the 300 sq m property, killing 25 people, including four members of a Delhi family, one tourist from Karnataka, and 20 members of staff. Among the employees, four were from Uttarakhand, while three each were from Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Nepal.
Legal action
FIR filed against Luthra brothers, others
An FIR was registered at 9:30am on Sunday against the Luthra brothers and others under various sections of law, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, endangering lives and personal safety, and negligent handling of fire or combustible material under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Four people were arrested on Sunday in connection with the case, and a fifth person, Bharat Singh Kohli, was arrested on Monday.