In a dramatic conclusion to an 11-day international chase, the owners of a Goa nightclub where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives were brought back to the state on Wednesday under heavy police escort. Saurabh Luthra (40) and Gaurav Luthra (44), the brothers who fled to Thailand hours after the tragedy, were arrested and deported, marking a significant turn in a case that has ignited nationwide anger over safety failures and accountability.
The Tragic Fire and Immediate Aftermath
The sequence of events began on the night of December 6. Around 11:45 PM, a massive fire erupted at the crowded Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa. Preliminary reports suggest that electric firecrackers hit the wooden ceiling, triggering the blaze. The inferno resulted in the deaths of 25 people, including tourists and staff, with several others injured. Rescue operations continued through the night.
However, while emergency services were still battling the fire, the owners, the Luthra brothers, were allegedly making arrangements to leave the country. Police investigations indicate that between 1 AM and 2 AM on December 7, they booked flight tickets. By approximately 5:30 AM, they had boarded an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Phuket, Thailand, fleeing while the investigation was in its most preliminary stage.
The International Manhunt and Capture
Goa Police swiftly launched a manhunt, registering a criminal case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including charges of culpable homicide and negligence. By December 9-11, the search went global. Authorities issued a lookout circular and sought an Interpol Blue Corner Notice. The Ministry of External Affairs suspended the brothers' passports, making their stay in Thailand illegal.
A special team comprising Goa Police, central agencies, and intelligence officials was dispatched to Thailand to coordinate their return. On December 11, acting on Indian requests, Thai authorities detained the brothers from the Hotel Indigo in Patong, Phuket. They were later moved to an immigration detention centre in Bangkok.
During this period, the Luthra brothers attempted to secure transit anticipatory bail from a Delhi court, claiming willingness to cooperate. The court rejected their plea, noting the allegations were "prima facie grave and serious." It also observed that they had allegedly booked foreign travel within an hour of the fire—a fact initially concealed.
Deportation, Arrest, and Return to Goa
With their passports suspended, the Indian embassy in Thailand issued emergency certificates, a one-way travel document, to facilitate their deportation under the India-Thailand extradition framework. On December 16, the brothers landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport from Bangkok at 2:10 PM, wearing masks and escorted by immigration officials.
A Goa Police team formally arrested them at the airport's immigration counter. They were produced before the Patiala House Court in Delhi, which granted a 48-hour transit remand, allowing police to bring them to Goa. After a medical examination, they were flown to Goa early on December 17, landing around 11 AM—nearly two weeks after the fatal fire.
Widening Probe and Accountability
The investigation has revealed alarming lapses. Police allege the nightclub was operating for months with expired licences and without mandatory safety clearances. The probe has also uncovered complex corporate structures linked to the brothers. Documents and GST records show connections to 42 firms, with several suspected to be shell companies, indicating possible corporate layering and money laundering.
So far, six other individuals linked to the club's operations, including managerial staff and an alleged operational partner, have been arrested. Reflecting the seriousness of the incident, a Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against the nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), observing that "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy.
The return of the Luthra brothers to Goa sets the stage for the next phase of the judicial process, as authorities work to piece together the events that led to one of Goa's deadliest fire disasters.
