Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of a Goa nightclub where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives, have been deported from Thailand and are being brought back to India to face legal action. Goa Police confirmed that the brothers were put on a flight to Delhi after Thai authorities detained them in Phuket following a formal request from Indian agencies.
The fatal blaze occurred on the intervening night of December 6 and 7 at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, Goa. Within hours of the incident, the Luthra brothers allegedly fled the country and travelled to Thailand, triggering a nationwide manhunt. Their passports were later impounded, and Interpol issued a Blue Notice to track their movement abroad.
According to Goa Police officials, the brothers are expected to land at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport around mid-afternoon, where a police team from Goa will take them into custody. They will be produced before Delhi’s Patiala House Court to seek transit remand, after which they are likely to be flown to Goa by Tuesday night.
An FIR registered in the case has charged the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, endangering life and personal safety, and negligent conduct involving fire or combustible material. Investigators allege that the nightclub had organised a fire show on the night of the incident without proper safety measures or adequate fire-fighting equipment.
Earlier, a local court in Delhi rejected the brothers’ anticipatory bail plea, in which they claimed they feared mob violence in Goa amid widespread outrage over the tragedy. Following the fire, Goa authorities launched a crackdown on illegal clubs and bars across the state.
The return of the Luthra brothers marks a crucial step in the investigation, as police prepare to question them over alleged safety violations that led to one of Goa’s deadliest nightclub disasters in recent years.
