Only a few days after the tragic fire at Goa’s Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa killed 25 people, a woman named Vaibhavi made some serious allegations of violence at the very same nightclub. Vaibhavi said that she and her family were physically abused by the manager and members of the security staff at the nightclub.
Alleged assault by manager and bouncers
Vaibhavi told ANI that Romeo Lane, a beach shack at Vagator, Goa, visited in November, seemed very small and had limited ways of entry and exit, which were at a height.
As per her, it all began at 3 am with a chair obstructing their way. Her cousin shifted it aside with his foot, and then the manager came to them and said, “You are damaging the furniture; we should have thrown you out earlier. You don't have the status to be here."
She complained that the manager caught her cousin by her collar and called security personnel and bouncers. “They started chasing us and raised their hands at us. Since it was tough to leave that club, they chased us down and hit people in groups. They hit my sister on the chest, pushed her so badly that she fell down the stairs... They put up a barricade at the entry gate so we couldn't leave... When my brother removed it, a bouncer ran towards him with a rod and started hitting him badly... When I pushed the bouncer to stop him, he hit me too… They were using such bad language towards us that I had never heard before,” Vaibhavi explained.
Police complaint and FIR
Vaibhavi reported the incident to the police the next morning, and after some efforts, an FIR was registered. Although Vaibhavi had mentioned Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, the owners of the club, as culprits in her police complaint, they were removed from it by the police as they were not physically present at the scene.
“If you don't take women's safety and tourist safety seriously, such incidents will keep happening in Goa,” Vaibhavi commented.
Also Read | Watch: Video shows the moment flames engulf Birch by Romeo Lane, performers rushing out
Owners detained abroad
The Luthra brothers, who are 44 and 40 years old, fled India for Thailand, specifically for Phuket, within hours after that tragic fire. Ever since then, they have been put under detention by the Thailand authorities and will soon be deported. The Delhi court has already denied them transit anticipatory bail. At the same time, five managers and employees who were associated with the fire incident have been arrested. The government of Goa confirms that it will bring back the Luthra brothers to India to prosecute them.
