NEW DELHI: Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra — co-owners of the fire-gutted ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in Goa — were detained by Thai police at Hotel Indigo in Patong, Phuket, days after fleeing India on an IndiGo flight while 25 people lay dead in the blaze at their club.
Their passports were suspended by the regional passport office in Delhi after they failed to respond to a notice seeking justification against punitive action. Once their travel documents were declared invalid, Thai authorities were able to act swiftly on India’s request for their detention, officials said.
Using passport and travel records, Thai police tracked the brothers, seized their belongings, and moved them to an immigration detention centre. Photos released by Phuket police on Thursday showed the duo in handcuffs. They are expected to remain in custody until deportation.
Deportation to take at least four days
Indian agencies are aiming to bring the brothers back by the end of the week, but the timeline may slip if key paperwork is not completed by Friday due to the approaching weekend. The Indian embassy in Bangkok must issue Emergency Travel Certificates, and the brothers may be transferred to the Thai capital for documentation.
A Goa Police team has already arrived in Phuket to coordinate the process. Goa DGP Alok Kumar said deportation would take “at least four days,” while Chief Minister Pramod Sawant noted that a police escort team will be dispatched to Thailand and confirmed the duo will be arrested upon arrival in India.
With no direct flights from Thailand to Goa, the Luthras will first be flown to Delhi and then taken to Goa.
Their escape
According to Goa Police, the brothers booked their Phuket-bound tickets at 1:17am on December 7, even as firefighters continued battling the blaze at their Arpora nightclub. By 5:30am, they had taken off on IndiGo flight 6E-1073.
Later that morning, a Goa Police team reached Delhi with an arrest warrant and searched their home and offices, only to find them gone. Notices were pasted at their residence, and by evening a lookout circular was issued. Interpol later followed with a Blue Corner Notice.
The fire and arrests so far
Investigators believe the fire began when electric firecrackers ignited the wooden ceiling during an event attended by over 150 tourists. The blaze erupted around 11:45pm on December 6. While many attendees managed to escape, several were trapped in the basement after the exit caught fire.
So far, police have arrested partner Ajay Gupta (55) and five staff members:
- Rajiv Modak (49), chief general manager
- Priyanshu Thakur (32), gate manager
- Rajveer Singhania (32), bar manager
- Vivek Singh (27), general manager
- Bharat Kohli, operations manager
Officials said the India–Thailand extradition treaty, in force since 2015, is facilitating the process.
