From celebrated Delhi restaurateurs to fugitives wanted for culpable homicide, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra’s dramatic fall began with a devastating fire at their Goa nightclub ‘Birch By Romeo Lane’ that claimed 25 lives on the night of December 6-7, 2025. Within hours of the tragedy, the duo—who built a 22-city hospitality empire under the Romeo Lane banner—fled India, prompting Goa Police to issue lookout notices and initiate extradition proceedings. Once the face of aspirational nightlife, the Luthras are now accused of gross negligence that turned their newest venue into a death trap.

The brothers’ journey started in 2016 with Mama’s Buoi in Delhi’s Hudson Lane, quickly followed by the hugely successful Romeo Lane chain known for vintage aesthetics and craft cocktails. By 2023, Saurabh, the public-facing chairman and self-styled “fastest-growing restaurateur,” was posting emotional reflections about expanding to multiple cities and four countries, while younger brother Gaurav quietly managed finances and operations for GS Foods Studio Pvt Ltd. Their Instagram feeds brimmed with glamour, celebrity visits, and captions about being “humbled” by rapid growth.

‘Birch By Romeo Lane,’ launched in Anjuna just months ago, was meant to be their crown jewel in India’s party capital. Instead, investigations revealed a catalogue of violations: illegal wooden construction in the attic-turned-VIP area, blocked emergency exits, no fire NOC, flammable materials throughout, and an air-conditioning unit allegedly sparking the blaze that spread within minutes. CCTV footage showed panicked revelers trapped as flames engulfed the single-story structure converted without proper permissions.

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Goa Police have booked the brothers, along with seven others including managers and staff, under sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. While employees were arrested, Saurabh and Gaurav reportedly left India the day after the fire, triggering nationwide alerts at airports and borders. Sources say the duo may have fled to Dubai, where they have business interests.

The tragedy has exposed the dark underbelly of Goa’s booming nightlife: rapid, unregulated conversions of homes into bars and clubs with little regard for safety norms. As families mourn 25 deaths—including tourists and staff—the Luthra brothers’ rags-to-riches story has become a cautionary tale of ambition outpacing responsibility.

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