- Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled to Thailand hours after the Goa nightclub fire killed 25 people
- The Centre suspended the brothers' passports under Section 10A of the Passport Act to prevent travel
- Indian authorities coordinated with Thai officials to detain the Luthras and plan their extradition
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who ran the Goa nightclub where a fire killed 25 people, managed to fly to Thailand shortly after the blaze began. At the time, firefighters were still battling the flames, and no case had been registered against the restaurateurs. Amid criticism from the Opposition and questions about the plan to bring them to justice, the Centre used the passport route to trap the Luthras. The Centre used Section 10A of the Passport Act to suspend the brothers' passports. Section 10A empowers authorities to stop individuals from travelling. At the same time, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) issued a Blue Corner notice against the brothers, further cornering them.
According to government sources, once their passports were suspended, the Luthras' stay in Thailand became illegal and Indian authorities managed to get their Thai counterparts detained. Indian officials are now flying to Thailand to bring them back for the trial. Government sources appreciated Thai authorities' cooperation and swift action.
READ: How Centre Used Passport Law To Corner Luthra Brothers In Thailand
The restaurateurs from Delhi, who own the Romeo Lane chain with outlets in 22 cities and four countries, fled to Phuket in Thailand early on Sunday, hours after the deadly fire at their nightclub, 'Birch by Romeo Lane', in north Goa's Arpora village. The brothers face a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence.
Twenty-five people were killed, and six others were injured after a fire broke out at the Goa nightclub late on Saturday night. That evening, the club was hosting a musical night and about 100 people, most of them tourists, were having a great time. Videos show a dancer and musicians performing on Bollywood chartbusters. Electric firecrackers were used during the performance, and this likely caused the fire.
What turned the nightclub into a death trap was the heavy use of flammable material in the decor and the shocking violation of fire safety norms. No functional fire extinguishers or safety alarms were found on the premises. Also, the access road is so narrow that fire engines could not pass through and had to be parked nearly 400 m away. This delayed the rescue operation and made the firefight very challenging.
By the time firefighters put out the blaze, 25 people had died. Five of them were tourists, and the others were staff members. Most of the victims were found in the basement and died from inhaling toxic smoke.
The tragic incident shocked the coastal state during the peak holiday season. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured strict action. Four staff members were arrested, and a search began for the Luthras. A team from the Goa police came to the national capital, and the Delhi cops joined the hunt. As police started conducting raids at their Delhi addresses, they found the Luthras had booked their tickets soon after the fire began and flew out hours later. Ajay Gupta, the brothers' business partner, has been arrested in Delhi.
The Luthra brothers have approached a Delhi court with a plea for anticipatory bail. They said in the petition that they are licensees and not actual owners of the building where the club was located. The brothers sought four weeks of transit anticipatory bail so that they would not be arrested immediately after their return to Delhi. They have also argued that they flew to Thailand for a business meeting and did not flee due to the fire. They said in the petition that they were not present at the club at the time of the incident.
