Luthra brothers land at Delhi airport: What happens next?

The brothers ran the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, where a fire killed 25 people in North Goa’s Arpora village on the night of December 6

Luthra brothers Saurabh and Gaurav, co-owners of Goa nighclub where a fire killed 25 people, at Delhi's IGI Airport after being deported from Thailand, on Tuesday. (Express Photo)

Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, who ran the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, where a fire killed 25 people in North Goa’s Arpora village on the night of December 6, landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday afternoon hours after they were deported from Thailand.

The brothers were detained from a hotel in Thailand’s Patong last week, based on a request from Indian law enforcement agencies, following which the process to deport them was expedited. The duo was shifted to an immigration facility in Bangkok earlier this week and is being brought to Delhi by officials of central agencies.

Sources said the Indian Embassy in Bangkok issued an emergency certificate to facilitate their one-way travel to India after their passports were impounded.

A team of the Goa police is in Delhi to take the duo into custody. Sources said that after landing at Delhi’s IGI Airport, the brothers are likely to be produced in a court in Delhi, where the Goa police is likely to seek their transit remand. The brothers will then be transported to Goa by late evening or night for further interrogation and probe, according to Goa police sources.

According to investigators, the Luthra brothers had taken a flight from Delhi to Phuket at 5:30 am on December 7, hours after the incident, which took place around midnight. The duo booked the tickets at 1:17 am on December 7 to flee the country, within 90 minutes of the blaze.

The technical fire safety incident report of the Fire Department found that information regarding a fire outbreak at the premises was received by the fire control room at 11:45 pm on December 6. Police said the accused duo was attending a wedding in Delhi on the night of the incident, when a club staff member informed them about the blaze.

Soon after they left the country, a lookout circular (LOC) was issued against them by the Bureau of Immigration at the request of the Goa Police. Later, a Blue Corner Notice was issued, and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) impounded their passports.

Pavneet Singh Chadha

Pavneet Singh Chadha is the Goa Correspondent of The Indian Express. His reporting focuses intensely on the state of Goa, covering major developments in politics, governance, and significant local events, which establishes his high degree of Expertise and Authority in the region. Expertise Geographic Expertise: As the Goa correspondent, Pavneet provides on-the-ground, comprehensive coverage of Goa's political, social, and cultural landscape, ensuring readers receive timely and localized insights. Key Coverage Focus: His recent work demonstrates deep investigative capabilities and a focus on high-impact stories, including: Investigative Reporting: Extensive coverage of complex events such as major incidents (e.g., the Goa nightclub fire), tracing the legal, political, and safety lapses involved. Government and Law Enforcement: Detailed tracking of police actions, deportations, and legal proceedings related to significant local cases. Policy and Governance: Reporting on the judiciary (e.g., Goa High Court flagging illegal structures) and the actions of government departments. He tweets @pub_neat ... Read More

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