Fugitive brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Goa nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane where a devastating fire killed 25 people last week, are likely to be brought back to India from Thailand as early as Sunday, officials said.
The Delhi-based businessmen had fled the country within hours of the blaze, which broke out late on December 6 at their club in Arpora, North Goa. According to investigators, the brothers boarded an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Phuket early Sunday morning, shortly after learning about the fire that tore through the crowded venue.
Passports Cancelled, Return Imminent
Indian authorities have since moved swiftly to secure their return. The Ministry of External Affairs cancelled the Luthras’ passports on Tuesday following a request from the Goa Police, while an Interpol Blue Corner notice was issued to trace their location. Thai authorities detained the brothers on Thursday, and the deportation process is now underway, officials familiar with the matter said.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed earlier this week that a joint team of the Goa Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation had travelled to Thailand to facilitate the brothers’ return to India, via Delhi. Thai officials, quoted by ANI, said final confirmation of flight details is awaited.
The fire, which broke out around 11.45 pm, claimed the lives of 25 people, including four members of a family from Delhi. Investigators said that even as the flames engulfed the nightclub, the brothers booked their flight tickets at 1.17 am and departed at 5.30 am. A lookout notice against them could only be issued nearly 24 hours later.
Delhi Court Rejects Anticipatory Bail Plea
Back in India, a Delhi court has already rejected the brothers’ anticipatory bail plea, in which they claimed they feared being “lynched” in Goa. Their homes in Delhi were raided last Sunday, but they had already fled by then.
Goa Police have booked the Luthras and others under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, acts endangering life and negligent handling of combustible material. Four managers arrested in connection with the case have had their police custody extended by five days.
Probe Includes Local Police
The investigation has also widened to include local authorities. Police have recorded statements from five members of the Arpora village panchayat, which is under scrutiny for issuing a trade licence to the nightclub in 2023 despite the absence of a valid construction licence and occupancy certificate. The licence had expired in March 2024.
Sarpanch Roshan Redkar told reporters that all permissions were granted based on resolutions passed by the panchayat body and not individual decisions. Redkar and panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar have been questioned and granted interim protection from arrest.
As the deportation process nears completion, families of the victims and the wider public are closely watching the next steps, with pressure mounting on authorities to ensure accountability in one of Goa’s deadliest nightlife tragedies.
