Setback for Luthra brothers as court rejects pre-arrest bail
What's the story
A Delhi court has rejected the anticipatory bail of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Goa nightclub, where 25 people were killed in a fire incident on December 6. The brothers fled to Phuket hours after the incident. They were detained by Thai authorities on Thursday and are expected to be brought back to India within two to three days, according to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Legal proceedings
Luthra brothers face legal challenges, seek bail
During the hearing, their lawyers claimed they had gone to Thailand on a business trip and weren't trying to evade investigation. Advocate Tanveer Ahmed Mir argued that "the state is on a path of revenge" and claimed his clients could be lynched if they returned. "I am not saying that the state is not authorized to take steps, but here the state is on a path of revenge...My properties are being demolished. I may be lynched in Goa," Mir said.
Defense arguments
Luthra brothers defend their Thailand trip
The Luthra brothers defended their trip to Thailand, saying they planned to set up a restaurant in Phuket and employ Indians. They sought four weeks' protection from arrest citing health issues. The lawyers said Gaurav has a neurological problem while Saurabh is epileptic. However, Goa police opposed their bail plea, calling medical grounds "bogus" as they hadn't seen a doctor.
Mir
'Brothers didn't flee after ₹5,000 crore fraud'
Mir also argued that the brothers were businessmen, not someone who fled the nation after carrying out a fraud of ₹5,000 crore. This could be a reference to the fugitive economic criminals whom the government is trying to bring back to face the law. He contended that the case were not homicide case, but rather deaths caused by negligence, and that criminal law was being stretched to include "intention."
Threats
People on social media threatening to 'set them on fire'
The lawyer also said that the brothers were getting death threats on social media, with some threatening to "set them on fire." "How has their leaving the country on the night of the incident become such a big crime? Liability is being assigned as if they went there and set the fire," Mir said, claiming their properties in Goa were demolished without being served proper notice.