After it came to light that Siddharth and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of Goa’s fire-ravaged 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, fled to Thailand’s Phuket when the blaze was tearing through the club, killing 25 people, shocking details have emerged about the lives of the brothers.
According to reports, the brothers were using the SIM card of their driver without his knowledge. The details regarding the SIM were revealed in NDTV’s enquiry.
Siddharth Luthra had obtained the SIM card in the name of Ram Hari Singh, their driver, who was fired five years ago during the Covid pandemic, the NDTV report said. Singh said that he had been Siddharth Luthra's driver for two years and was not asked to return after the lockdown was lifted.
He claimed that he had no contact with the Luthra brothers for the past five years and was unaware of any SIM cards being used in his name. He added that he had provided several documents to Siddharth Luthra during his employment and has not met Siddharth Luthra since 2020.
The rise of the Luthra brothers
Their lives changed after the Luthra brothers opened a club, Mama's Buoi, on Hudson Lane in Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar nearly a decade ago. That club became very popular among Delhi University students. It was then that they opened another club, Romeo Lane in Goa’s Vagator, which changed everything for the Luthra brothers. The club shot to popularity after the lockdown was lifted, and Goa saw a surge in tourists.
They then went on to launch ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ and ‘Caha’, and their footprint grew to more than 25 outlets across India and even ventured into Dubai, according to Economic Times.
Passport cancelled: What’s next
The MEA has suspended the duo after it came to light that they booked tickets to Phuket just 30 minutes after the fire. Sources say the Ministry of External Affairs received a formal request from the Goa government to cancel the Luthra brothers' passports. Interpol issued a Blue Corner notice against the brothers on Tuesday.
According to the MEA, passports can be suspended by the Central Government or any designated officer as per the provisions of Section 10A of the Passports Act 1967, leaving them unable to leave the country. However, since the Luthra brothers have already fled the country, the move will leave them stranded.
However, according to the Luthra family, the trip was pre-planned and not spontaneous. Their lawyer stated that Saurabh had travelled to Thailand on December 6 for work and to inspect new restaurant locations. The family stated that both brothers wish to return to the country.
