Goa Night Club Fire: Owners Detained in Thailand
The Luthra brothers, owners of a Goa nightclub where a fire broke out, fled to Thailand but were caught, and their claims of a business trip were rejected by Indian authorities.
Last week, a fire broke out at the Goa nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, co-owned by the Luthra brothers, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra. ISH News has released a video covering the incident for those who missed it. Saurabh’s social media profile mentions that he has been featured in Forbes India and is the chairman of Romeo Lane, a company that runs popular restaurants and clubs in Delhi, Goa, Gurugram, and other cities.
The fire occurred late at night on 6th December. Shockingly, within 90 minutes of the fire, the Luthra brothers had already booked tickets to Thailand to leave India. They logged into the MakeMyTrip platform at 1:17 am on 7th December and boarded IndiGo flight 6E 1073 from Delhi to Phuket at 5:30 am. This was surprising because, during those days, more than 1,000 IndiGo flights were cancelled, but their flight operated on time. Although some people suspected a connection between the brothers and the airline, it was later confirmed to be a coincidence.
The hunt for the brothers began immediately after the incident. Goa Police suspended their passports, making their stay in Thailand illegal. After confirming that they had arrived in Phuket, Thai police were alerted and launched a search across the city. The brothers were eventually found at Hotel Indigo in Patong, Phuket, and taken into custody.
India and Thailand have a treaty that allows the return of criminals involved in serious offences. Under this treaty, criminals can be held and sent back if their crimes are punishable under the laws of both countries. A team from Goa has already reached Phuket to coordinate the deportation, which is expected to take at least four days. Goa Chief Minister confirmed that the duo will be arrested immediately upon their arrival. Since there are no direct flights from Thailand to Goa, they will first fly to Delhi and then be brought to Goa.
Meanwhile, Ajay Gupta, a ‘silent partner’ of the Luthra brothers in the club, along with five managers and staff members, has also been arrested by Goa Police. During the investigation, officials found documents and GST details showing that 42 companies are registered to the Luthras’ office address in Delhi. These are likely shell companies, often used for money laundering or illegal transactions.
The Luthra brothers approached the Delhi court seeking temporary relief and protection. They claimed that they were not the actual owners of the club, only license holders, and said they went to Thailand for business purposes and marketing campaigns. However, no branches, addresses, or customer reviews were found in Phuket, making their claims questionable.
In their bail appeal, they requested four weeks of protection, citing threats to their life from angry mobs, but the Delhi court dismissed the appeal. The investigation in India is still ongoing, and authorities are continuing to gather evidence.
Updates on the case are expected in the coming days.
