"Precautionary measures were absent, owners must be held accountable," says Goa club fire survivor

New Delhi [India], December 11 (ANI): In the aftermath of the tragic fire at a Goa club, a survivor and eyewitness has accused the club management of negligence, stating that the lack of basic safety measures contributed to the deaths of her family members.
Speaking to ANI, a survivor and eyewitness Bhawana Joshi said, "Four people in my family- my husband and three sisters lost their lives in the fire incident. All this happened only because precautionary measures were not taken at the club. Neither was there any emergency exit, fire alarm, nor anything else to control the fire. The staff were busy protecting club dancers and musicians."
She demanded strict action against the club owners, accusing them of fleeing the country after the tragedy. "Stringent action should be taken against the owners. They are such people who killed so many of us and ran away from the country," Joshi added.
Meanwhile, the Luthra brothers, Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, wanted in connection with the tragic fire at Goa's Birch Hotel, have been detained in Thailand and are expected to be deported to India shortly, sources said on Thursday.
According to the Goa Police, the brothers were booked on December 7 for fleeing the country while authorities were battling the fire and rescuing trapped guests. Following a Blue Corner Notice issued by Interpol against the absconding accused, Thai authorities apprehended the accused in Thailand.
On December 6, late at night at 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, a devastating blaze claimed 25 lives, including five tourists and 20 staff members. The restaurant is owned by Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, who also own Birch by Romeo Lane.
Meanwhile, the arrested accused in the tragic Arpora nightclub fire case, Ajay Gupta, was brought to Goa on Thursday and is being taken to the Anjuna Police Station by the Goa Police team. Gupta, one of the four owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, was granted a 36-hour transit remand by Delhi's Saket Court on December 10.
Earlier, the Delhi Police informed the Rohini Court that the accused brothers, Gaurav and Saurav Luthra, had left the country soon after the Goa club fire tragedy and that a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) had already been issued against them by a Goa court.
Opposing their plea for protection, the State submitted that the brothers were deliberately evading investigation and should not be granted any interim relief.
The accused, however, told the court through their counsel that they were apprehended upon landing in India. They argued that they had travelled to Thailand for work-related reasons and now wished to return but feared custodial action. Their lawyers emphasised that the applicants only sought brief transit protection to approach the competent court in Goa.
The Rohini Court took up the transit anticipatory bail applications on Wednesday and questioned their maintainability, noting that the applicants were not presently within the territorial jurisdiction.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the inquiry report will be ready within eight days, even as the state begins disbursing compensation to victims' families and intensifies safety audits and enforcement at entertainment venues.
The district administration demolished part of the Romeo Lane restaurant in Vagator, Goa. (ANI)