Birch Nightclub Tragedy Accused Luthra Brothers Face ED Heat As Agency Raids Eight Premises In Goa, Delhi

New Delhi: In a significant escalation of the legal proceedings following the December 6, 2025 Goa nightclub tragedy, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a series of coordinated, early-morning raids on Friday targeting 8-9 locations across Delhi, Gurugram, and Goa, focusing on the residential and office premises of the Luthra brothers- Saurabh and Gaurav- and Ajay Gupta, the owners of the "Birch by Romeo Lane" nightclub in Arpora.

This financial probe aims to dismantle a money-laundering network linked to the nightclub's illegal operations, which culminated in the devastating fire that claimed 25 lives on December 6, 2025.

Beyond the promoters, the federal agency expanded its search to include local officials alleged to have facilitated the racket; specifically, the premises of former Sarpanch Roshan Redkar and Panchayat Secretary Raghuvir Bagkar were raided for their roles in purportedly issuing fraudulent trade licenses and No Objection Certificates (NOCs). 

Furthermore, ED teams are questioning Surinder Kumar Khosla to investigate the illicit conversion of "Khazan" land, environmentally sensitive salt pans, into the commercial site where the club was built. 

Ran 42 Shell Companies

Earlier, the Police investigations have already revealed that the owners of Birch by Rome Lane ran 42 shell companies under the guise of their restaurant empire.

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra reportedly were directors in all the companies, which were all registered at a single address in north-west Delhi and all companies had opened in last two years, reports say.

The troubles of Luthra brothers, who were recently deported from Thailand and brought to India, may increase further after this raid.

Birch December 2025 tragedy 

All this controversy began after a fire engulfed the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in Goa on December 6, 2025, owned by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, killing 25 people. 

Preliminary investigations already flagged a slew of regulatory and safety lapses and according to police and fire-service officials, the club lacked valid fire-safety clearances, proper emergency exits and essential safety infrastructure such as sprinklers, alarms and clearly marked escape routes thereby leading to the harrowing incident.

Meanwhile, amid massive outrage and protests over the deaths, the Luthra brothers had fled the country hours after the incident and travelled to Thailand.

They were later deported to India on December 17 last year and are currently in the custody of Goa police. A Delhi court had granted the Goa Police a 48-hour transit remand of the accused after they landed at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi.

The absconding owners were detained at Phuket's Indigo Hotel after Interpol issued a Blue Corner Notice. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), working closely with Thai authorities, traced the movements of the brothers after they fled India within hours of the tragedy, catching an early-morning IndiGo flight to Thailand.

Hotel charged 15,000/Night 

The Luthra brothers took refuge in a Thai hotel near Patong beach after fleeing from India. The hotel in which the brothers checked in is Hotel Indigo. 

Located 550 m from the famous Patong Beach, the hotel offers world-class amenities and a breathtaking view. It is located in North Patong, as per the hotel's official site, their rooms 'reflect the locale's tropical forests, neon lights, and fishing village heritage.' The hotel boasts 2 on-site multi-cuisine restaurants, on-site parking, a fitness centre and an opulent pool.
 

No proper safety equipment

According to the Goa police, the firework event was organised at the club without proper fire safety equipment and other essential safety gadgets. The police said the custodial presence of the accused in Goa was required at a critical stage of the investigation.

Placing its submissions before the Patiala House Court, the Goa Police said the accused are the main owners and partners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane' in North Goa's Arpora area and had ultimate control over the operation of the club, including safety arrangements, permissions and events held at the premises.

The Luthra brothers, despite knowing that the restaurant lacks emergency exit doors on the ground or deck floors for evacuation in an emergency, organised the fire show, police said.

The Goa Police had filed a criminal case dated December 7 at the Police Station Arpora Anjuna, North Goa, under sections 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b), and 287, read with 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023.

Five managers and staff members were also arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.

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