Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers to be brought back from Delhi custody

Two co-owners of the Goa nightclub 'Birch by Romeo Lane', Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, where 25 people died in a fire on December 6, have been arrested after being deported from Thailand. They were detained by Thai authorities on December 11 and deported to India.

Panaji: Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6, are expected to be brought to the state on Wednesday morning by the local police, which secured their transit remand from a Delhi court, a senior official said.

The Luthra brothers, co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub at Arpora in North Goa, were arrested on Tuesday as soon as they landed in Delhi after being deported from Thailand.

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The duo had fled to Phuket (Thailand) early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.

They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.

The court in Delhi on Tuesday allowed the Goa police their two-day transit remand.

In a statement issued here, a Goa police spokesperson said, “After taking the custody of the deported Luthra brothers in New Delhi and on obtaining the transit remand, the Goa police are bringing both the accused to Goa.”

“The police team along with the accused is expected to reach Goa by tomorrow (Wednesday) morning,” he said.

Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.