Nearly a week after a devastating fire tore through a Goa nightclub killing 25 people, fugitive brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra are set to be deported from Thailand and brought back to India, possibly as early as Sunday.
The Delhi-based businessmen, owners of the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, North Goa, allegedly fled the country within hours of the blaze on December 6. Investigators say that even as the fire engulfed the club around 11.45 pm, the brothers booked tickets to Thailand at 1.17 am and flew out on an early morning IndiGo flight to Phuket.
Following requests from the Goa Police, the Ministry of External Affairs cancelled their passports earlier this week, and an Interpol Blue Corner notice was issued. Thai authorities detained the brothers on Thursday, after which the deportation process formally began. Officials said final confirmation of flight details is awaited, but preparations are underway to bring them back via Delhi.
A joint team of the Goa Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation has been dispatched to Thailand to escort the brothers back to India. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed the move, stating that the government is determined to ensure accountability in the case.
The brothers have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, acts endangering life, and negligent handling of fire or combustible material. Their anticipatory bail plea was earlier rejected by a Delhi court.
The investigation has also widened to include the Arpora village panchayat, which granted a trade licence to the club in 2023 despite the absence of a valid construction licence and occupancy certificate. That licence expired in March 2024. Statements of panchayat members have been recorded, while four club managers arrested after the incident remain in extended police custody.
The tragedy has sparked a broader crackdown on illegal bars and clubs in Goa, with authorities promising stricter enforcement ahead of the festive season.
