Goa nightclub fire: Accused owners flown back to India
Goa nightclub owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, wanted in connection with the December 6 fire tragedy atBirch by Romeo Lane in Arpora that claimed 25 lives, were deported to India from Bangkok on Tuesday morning using an emergency travel certificate, officials said.
According to a report by The Times of India, the Luthra brothers boarded an IndiGo flight and were expected to arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport around 1.45 pm. The duo was seen at the airport wearing masks and escorted by immigration and security officials.
Upon arrival, the brothers will be produced before the Patiala House Court in Delhi, where a team from the Delhi Crime Branch and Goa Police will seek their transit remand. They are likely to be flown to Goa later on Tuesday night, Goa Director General of Police Alok Kumar confirmed.
The deportation followed coordinated efforts by Indian authorities. A special team comprising CBI and intelligence officials reached Phuket on Saturday to complete formalities. The brothers were earlier detained by Thai authorities at Hotel Indigo in Patong, Phuket, and later shifted to an immigration detention centre in Bangkok.
Since their passports were suspended by the Indian government, the Indian Embassy in Thailand issued the Luthras an emergency certificate, a one-way travel document allowing their return to India. The Regional Passport Office in New Delhi had earlier issued notices to the brothers, seeking an explanation as to why their passports should not be impounded.
After a lookout circular was issued, the Ministry of External Affairs formally impounded their passports, leaving them without valid travel documents in Thailand. While India and Thailand have had an extradition treaty in force since 2015, authorities opted for deportation as it was a faster legal route.
The Luthra brothers had fled India within hours of the fire, even as rescue operations were underway at their nightclub, Birch, in Goa’s Arpora area.
Goa Police investigations revealed that the nightclub had been operating illegally for nearly 18 months, without mandatory permissions and on an expired licence. Officials said the licence was not renewed as required permissions had not been obtained since 2024. Despite repeated violations, no action was taken against the establishment until the fatal blaze.
So far, police have arrested seven individuals in the case, including Gurgaon-based partner Ajay Gupta, senior management staff from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, and operational managers responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the club.
The fire broke out around 11.45 pm on December 6, when over 150 tourists were attending an event. A preliminary investigation by the police and the Directorate of Fire Services found that electric firecrackers struck the wooden ceiling, triggering the blaze that led to multiple fatalities.
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The problem lies with the municipality, who gave permissions & who gave occupancy certificate, without fire fighting & safety controls in place.
till then the owners are only scape goats. NO change in the rotten administration system