Saurabh Luthra: After the massive fire that broke out in a nightclub in Goa on Sunday midnight, its owner Saurabh Luthra has come into the limelight. Initial investigation has revealed flaws in the security protocols of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub. Questions are also being raised regarding the construction of the club in the backwaters of Arpora river, which has allegedly been done without permission. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered a magisterial inquiry into the nightclub fire that claimed 25 lives. A case has been registered against Saurabh and his elder brother Gaurav Luthra.
According to Romeo Lane website, the success story of Saurabh Luthra is his transformation from a gold medal winning engineer to a promising and fastest growing restaurateur. He is known for his excellent work in the F&B industry. He was included in Forbes India. Saurabh Luthra, along with Romeo Lane, Birch and Mama’s Buoy, built a fast-growing hospitality empire. But according to the Indian Express report, it was Romeo Lane that really brought the Luthra brothers into the limelight. The brand expanded rapidly and opened restaurants and rooftop restaurants in more than 30 cities like Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Goa, Bhopal, Indore, Dehradun, Lucknow and even Dubai.
Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra are currently in Phuket (Thailand).
Saurabh has a house in Dubai
Once considered a young industry success story, their rapid expansion and high-profile branding have established them as a rising force in the nightlife scene in Goa and beyond. Gaurav Luthra is Saurabh’s brother and helps him manage his business. There is a difference of four years in the age of Saurabh and Gaurav. Saurabh is 40 years old and Gaurav is 44 years old. Both live in Outram Lane, North Delhi, near GTB Nagar metro station. Goa Police had raided the same area on Monday in search of the two brothers. Many clubs were opened in both these Indian metros, although many of their outlets have also closed down in the last few years. Saurabh also has a residential property in Dubai.
Presence in 4 countries with 22 cities
According to the website, Romeo Lane is currently present in 22 cities as well as four countries. Luthra is known for the organic cocktails served at his outlets. According to the website, Luthra has won several awards and his restaurant/bar has received several honors since 2016. Despite running big clubs, Luthra was described as aloof and not in contact with people. Local people and industry experts say that he kept to himself and rarely associated with his sector. Many say this isolation has led to shortcomings in monitoring and weak accountability at the grassroots level.
According to TOI, employees of Birch located in Romeo Lane said that Luthra used to come only once a month and interacted only with select people. People reported that their limited involvement meant that workers had little direct access to the person responsible for safety. Despite Luthra having a big nightlife business, he was never registered with the tourism association. They were listed only in the panchayat, highlighting regulatory lapses and lax monitoring of high-risk establishments.
What was the reason for the fire?
While the state police said that the fire started after midnight on Sunday due to a cylinder explosion. Some witnesses claimed that the fire broke out on the first floor of the nightclub, where at least 100 tourists were present on the dance floor. “This club is run by Saurabh Luthra. There were disputes between him and the land owners, as well as between him and his business partners, due to which complaints were filed against this establishment,” said Roshan Redkar, sarpanch of Arpora gram panchayat. Redkar said that the building from which the club was running was built without a construction license. “Complaints were received against the club and when we investigated, we found that it did not have a construction license. We had issued a demolition notice following due procedure. However, after an appeal, the demolition notice was stayed,” he said.
This nightclub was once built on a salty place with salt water, which was considered environmentally sensitive. The report said it also falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, which prohibits construction in the inter-tidal zone. This night club is located in the backwaters of Arpora river, where the entry and exit gates are narrow. According to PTI, it was not possible for fire engines to reach the club due to narrow streets and their tankers had to be parked about 400 meters away from the spot.
