The Luthra brothers, owners of the Arpora nightclub where 25 people died in a fire, were brought to Delhi from Thailand.
Luthra brothers were produced before Delhi's Patiala House court. (Screengrab of ANI video)
The Luthra brothers, Gaurav and Saurabh, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, where a massive fire killed 25 people earlier this month, were brought to Delhi from Thailand on Tuesday. The brothers landed in the national capital around 1:30–1:45 pm on an IndiGo flight from Bangkok.
The Luthra brothers’ custody has now been taken over by the Goa Police. The cops said all necessary legal formalities are being completed, and further investigation is underway. The due were due to be produced before Delhi’s Patiala House Court, where the Goa Police will seek transit remand.
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The December 6 blaze, which broke out at the Arpora nightclub, is suspected to have been triggered during a fire show conducted on the premises.
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Goa Nightclub Fire Tragedy: Luthra Brothers’ Escape and Detention – Complete Case Timeline
Goa Police produced Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra before the Patiala House Court and sought a 3-day transit remand. Patiala House Court Duty Magistrate Twinkle Chawla allowed the Goa Police’s transit remand application, granting permission to take Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra to Goa and produce them before the concerned court there. The Court granted the Goa Police 48 hours for the transit.
The Goa Police has taken Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra to a hospital in Delhi for medical examination. The police have taken over their custody after they were brought back from Thailand. The accused brothers are likely to be taken to Goa for further interrogation.
News agency ANI shared video footage on Tuesday morning showing Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra wearing face masks at Bangkok airport, moments before their departure to India.
The Goa Police have registered a case under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which carries a maximum punishment of up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Investigators are also examining multiple alleged violations related to fire safety, licensing norms and crowd management.
The FIR, filed on December 7 at the Arpora Anjuna Police Station in North Goa, invokes Sections 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b) and 287, read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The FIR says the accused went ahead with a fire show at Birch by Romeo Lane without putting in place basic safety measures or fire-fighting facilities. Police also allege that the restaurant did not have emergency exit doors on the ground or deck floors, yet the event was still held.
The resulting fire led to the deaths of 25 people, including tourists and staff, while several others suffered serious injuries.
Thai authorities detained the brothers from a resort in Phuket last week after Indian authorities suspended their passports and formally sought their deportation. All required documentation, including Emergency Certificates issued after the passport cancellation, was furnished to the Thai side.
An Indian law enforcement team coordinated the process, with the Embassy of India in Bangkok remaining in constant touch with Thai authorities. The deportation is being carried out under the India–Thailand extradition treaty that has been in force since 2015.
Thai officials have stressed that due process has been followed and that cooperation between the two countries continues to ensure a lawful handover.
Meanwhile, the Goa government has constituted a special legal team to pursue the case effectively. Investigators are now piecing together evidence on all the alleged violations to firm up the charge sheet.
The swift deportation comes amid earlier concerns that the case could be delayed by prolonged legal proceedings in Bangkok due to competing claims and human rights issues linked to the cancellation of travel documents.
Police say the Luthra brothers fled to Thailand shortly after the December 6 fire, even as emergency responders were still battling the blaze at the Arpora nightclub.
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