- The deportation process started to bring the Luthra brothers from Thailand to India
- Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra were detained in Phuket after fleeing following the fire at their Arpora nightclub
- Indian officials will take custody of the brothers at Bangkok airport
The deportation process has begun to bring back the Luthra brothers from Thailand over the deadly fire at their nightclub in Goa. Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra had fled the country within hours after the tragedy struck their 'Birch by Romeo Lane' in Arpora. They were eventually detained by the Thai authorities in Phuket following a request from India.
The Luthras have now been brought to Bangkok by Thai officials and kept at the Suan Phlu Immigration Detection Centre. They will remain at the immigration centre until their deportation formalities are completed. A law enforcement team from India is expected to take custody of the accused brothers soon.
An emergency travel certificate will be issued by the Indian embassy to validate their travel back to the country since their passport remains cancelled—which marks a serious overstay issue.
Read: How Centre Used Passport Law To Corner Luthra Brothers In Thailand
Thereafter, they will be put on a flight back to India. They are expected to arrive by Monday.
The entire process is being handled by the Indian foreign ministry, the Indian Embassy in Thailand, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in coordination with the Royal Thai Police and the Thai government.
Once brought to India, the Delhi-based restaurateurs will face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence in connection with the nightclub tragedy.
Their request for an anticipatory bail has been rejected by a court in Delhi.
The deportation of the Luthras follows days of diplomatic and law enforcement efforts in India and Thailand. To trap them, the government had suspended their passports, which landed them in an immigration soup. Meanwhile, blue corner notices were issued by Interpol, identifying them as suspects for alleged violations of the rules required to operate the nightclub.
Read: Luthra Brothers Caught In Thailand, Seen In Photos With Hands Tied
Thailand immigration authorities soon detained the brothers from their hotel room and shared photos of them with their hands tied and holding their passports.
At least 25 people were killed and six others were injured in the tragedy that shocked the coastal state early Sunday during the holiday season. The fire erupted past midnight during a musical night at the nightclub. About 100 people, mostly tourists, were partying at that time. The use of electric firecrackers was believed to have caused the fire.
The heavy use of flammable material in the club decor turned it into a death trap. Shocking violation of fire safety norms and no functional extinguishers were found, with fingers being raised at the club authorities.
