BREAKING | Luthra Brothers detained in Thailand, passport canceled and Interpol notice active. Will the accused in Goa nightclub fire case be deported to India now? Ticket booking minutes after the fire further deepened the suspicion.
Panaji. The matter related to Goa’s famous nightclub ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ is now becoming more complicated. As the investigation progressed after the fire in the club, new information kept coming to light. Meanwhile, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, said to be the license holders of the club, have been taken into custody in Thailand. Their passports have been cancelled, the Interpol Blue Corner Notice is active, and the Delhi court has even refused to grant them protection from arrest. Will Luthra Brothers be brought back to India? And if yes, when and how?
Had Luthra Brothers already made preparations to flee to Thailand?
The information that came to light on the night of the fire put the investigation under doubt. According to records, on December 7 at 1:17 pm, both the brothers booked tickets for Thailand. At the same time, Goa Police and Fire Brigade were busy extinguishing the fire and rescuing the trapped people. At 5:30 am, both of them left for Phuket on Indigo flight 6E 1073. Looking at the timing, the investigating agencies became suspicious whether a plan to escape had been made immediately after the fire broke out.
Did Thailand arrest Luthra only under the pressure of Indian investigation?
Thailand’s National Crime Bureau has officially detained both brothers. According to sources, this action was taken due to the intensified investigation by Goa Police, cancellation of passport, and Blue Corner Notice. Blue Corner Notice means monitoring the movement, location and activity of a suspect and sharing that information with another country. That means India was keeping an eye on him through Interpol.
Why did the court reject interim protection?
In the Delhi court, Luthra Brothers said that they had not run away. He had gone to Thailand for a business meeting. They are only “license holders” and not the actual owners of the club, but the court did not accept this argument, saying that no interim protection (protection from arrest) could be given to them at this time. The next hearing on his transit anticipatory bail has been scheduled.
Can Luthra be brought back to India?
Yes, they can be brought, because India-Thailand Extradition Treaty is in force since 2015. There is a special MoU between the two countries on money laundering and terror financing. Under the treaty, India’s central authority is the Ministry of External Affairs, and Thailand’s Attorney General’s Office, i.e. India, can officially request that both be deported to India, and given the seriousness of the case, this is a very strong possibility.
Can the role of Luthra Brothers be proved in the fire case?
- The investigation has revealed several points that raise doubts:
- Booking of tickets immediately after the fire.
- The license of the club should be in his name.
- Mobile location suddenly going offline after the incident.
- As soon as the FIR is registered, a large-scale search operation begins.
Although this alone is not enough evidence, investigating agencies are considering these activities as a “possible escape attempt”.
Will Thailand deport immediately?
Deportation occurs only when a person has violated the immigration rules of a country. At present the matter is moving more towards extradition and not towards direct deportation. India will start the official paperwork, and Thailand will decide whether to hand them over to India or not.
Is the story going to get more complicated now?
New facts are coming to light every day in this case. The arrest in Thailand, the cancellation of the passport, the attitude of the court, the time of the fire, the ticket booking… all these things raise the question whether it was just an accident or is there some hidden truth behind it?