The Luthra brothers left India hours after the Goa nightclub fire. Indian and Thai agencies tracked them across borders and detained them in Phuket. Deportation proceedings have begun.
Phuket/Goa: Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, linked to the Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub fire that killed 25 people, after being detained by Thai authorities in Phuket. The third image shows the charred remains of the nightclub in Goa where the tragedy occurred. (Images: ANI)
A cross-border operation involving multiple agencies in India and Thailand has led to the detention of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of Goa’s Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub, where 25 people died in a fire over the weekend. The brothers, who left India within five hours of the incident, were traced to Phuket after a rapid intelligence- and immigration-led pursuit.
Deportation proceedings have begun, and officials expect the duo to be brought back to India soon for further investigation.
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According to officials, the brothers booked their flight tickets at 1:17 am on December 7, barely as firefighters and police were still trying to control the inferno and rescue those trapped inside the Arpora nightclub. Immigration authorities were the first to flag their departure, triggering immediate alerts across agencies.
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By the time the scale of the tragedy became clear, the Luthras had already boarded a flight to Phuket (5:30 am to be exact). Their movement out of the country prompted authorities to suspend their passports, while the Ministry of External Affairs is examining the Goa Police’s request for full revocation.
Their lawyers, appearing before a New Delhi court on Wednesday, argued that the brothers had not “fled” but were on a business trip and were merely licensees, not owners, of the nightclub. The court declined to grant interim protection from arrest.
Once their exit was confirmed, Indian agencies alerted Thai authorities with full travel details. Officials said the operation needed to be swift, as there was a real risk the brothers could leave Thailand once aware they had been traced.
Thai law enforcement launched island-wide searches across Phuket. The detention could have happened sooner, but the brothers had shifted accommodation, forcing authorities to widen the search. Eventually, they were tracked down and detained, after which they were taken to a Phuket detention facility.
Indian officials are now coordinating the deportation process, which they expect could be completed within the next day.
The Goa Police have already arrested five managers and staff members linked to the nightclub’s operations. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said a detailed inquiry report will be ready in eight days and has assured strict action.
Initial assessments indicate the fire was fuelled by extensive use of inflammable decorative material, in addition to shocking lapses in fire safety norms. Nearly 100 people were inside the nightclub when the blaze erupted, killing 25 and injuring six.
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