Luthra Brothers Detained From Hotel Room In Thailand

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the brothers wanted in connection with the deadly Goa nightclub fire that claimed the lives of 25 people, have been detained in Thailand. The pair were apprehended by Thai authorities in a joint operation with Indian law enforcement, acting on intelligence that tracked the absconding brothers to Bangkok. The detention occurred at a hotel in the Thai capital.

The Luthra brothers are the owners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane,' the nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, where a fire broke out on Saturday night. The blaze, suspected to have been triggered by a cylinder blast and exacerbated by flammable decorations and inadequate safety measures, resulted in the tragic loss of life. Among the victims were five tourists and twenty staff members, most of whom succumbed to smoke inhalation in the basement of the venue.

Following the fire, the Luthra brothers fled India, booking tickets to Thailand a mere five hours after the incident, even as emergency services were still battling the blaze. This act, considered an attempt to evade responsibility, triggered a Look-Out Circular and an Interpol Blue Notice against them.

Images have emerged showing the Luthra brothers in custody in Thailand. One photograph shows one of the brothers handcuffed and standing in front of Thai Police. The brothers are seen with their hands tied, clutching their passports as they stand beside Thai police officers in two separate photos. They are being held at a detention center in Phuket.

The Goa Police have revealed that the brothers booked their flight to Thailand on the MakeMyTrip platform at 1:17 am on December 7, while firefighting operations were still underway. The booking was made for an IndiGo flight from Delhi. Their departure amidst widespread flight cancellations and delays raised suspicions and further fueled the investigation.

Facing charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence, the Luthra brothers had previously sought pre-arrest bail from a Rohini court in Delhi, claiming they feared custodial action if they returned to India. They argued that their trip to Thailand was for work-related reasons and that they were not involved in the day-to-day operations of the nightclub, alleging they were victims of vindictive behavior by authorities.

The process to extradite the Luthra brothers to India has already begun. A Goa Police team is expected to travel to Thailand to take custody of the brothers and bring them back to India for trial. Their passports are also facing cancellation.