Goa nightclub fire: Thai authorities deport Luthra brothers to India

Thailand authorities on Tuesday deported Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire earlier this month, to India amid an ongoing probe into the tragedy.

They have boarded a flight for Delhi and will be handed over to Indian authorities on arrival, sources said. The duo will be produced before a Delhi court for further legal proceedings, they said. A case of culpable homicide and negligence has been registered against them in connection with the fire.

Videos circulating online showed Gaurav, 44, and Saurav, 40, being escorted by Thai police at Bangkok airport ahead of their departure for India.

The deportation comes days after the two were detained in Phuket on December 11 following the intervention of the Indian mission, which was in close touch with the Thai government in the case.

The Luthra brothers, co-owners of ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in Arpora in North Goa, had left for Thailand shortly after the December 6 fire. They were reportedly attending a wedding in Delhi at the time of the incident. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice was issued against the duo.

The blaze had sparked widespread outrage and raised serious questions over alleged safety violations and lapses by the nightclub management. The Indian government, after cancelling the passports of the two brothers, had submitted a dossier to Thai authorities alleging their involvement in the deaths of 25 people and formally sought their deportation. India and Thailand signed an Extradition Treaty in 2013, which came into force in June 2015.

The Goa Police have so far arrested five managers and staff members of the nightclub in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation, observing that “someone has to be held accountable” for the tragedy.