Luthra Brothers’ Deportation Delayed as India Revokes Passports Following Goa Fire Tragedy
Luthra brothers’ extradition from Thailand delayed by emergency document hurdle.
The extradition of nightclub owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, wanted for the catastrophic Birch by Romeo Lane fire that claimed 25 lives in Goa on 6 December, has been thrown into limbo after Indian authorities revoked their passports, triggering a mandatory multi-stage process for issuing emergency travel certificates before they can be deported from Thailand.
Currently held in immigration detention in Phuket since Thursday, the brothers now face compulsory transfer to Bangkok where Indian consular officials must verify identity, complete revocation formalities, and issue one-way emergency certificates — a procedure that typically consumes several working days and is expected to spill over the weekend as Thai and Indian government offices remain closed.
Goa Police moved with unprecedented speed after the tragedy, issuing an Interpol Blue Corner notice through the CBI on 9 December, barely 72 hours after the brothers slipped out of Delhi on an IndiGo flight while firefighters were still battling flames at their Arpora venue, enabling Thai authorities to apprehend them within five days of departure.
Also Read: #JUSTIN: Goa Nightclub Owners Detained in Thailand Five Days After Deadly Arpora Fire
Compounding their predicament, a Delhi court on Thursday dismissed their anticipatory transit bail petitions in a strongly worded order that described the charges of criminal negligence, illegal construction, and safety violations leading to mass casualties as “prima facie grave and serious,” effectively ensuring their immediate arrest the moment they land on Indian soil.
In Goa, the investigation intensified with co-owner Ajay Gupta being remanded to seven days police custody after dramatic overnight transfer from Delhi under a Look Out Circular, joining five arrested staff members, while authorities confirmed another partner, Surinder Kumar Khosla, remains untraceable with an active LOC issued against him as the death toll and public outrage continue to mount.
Also Read: Luthra Brothers Cite Epilepsy, Claim ‘Witch-Hunt’ in Goa Nightclub Fire Probe
