Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, Goa, were brought to the state on Wednesday morning from Delhi after their deportation from Thailand. The duo are in custody the Goa Police after their arrest at Delhi’s IGI Airport immigration.
The brothers were deported to India from Thailand, bringing an end to a 10-day international search following the deadly fire at their nightclub that claimed 25 lives on December 6.
Court proceedings and remand
A Delhi court earlier granted the Goa Police a 2 day transit remand to enable their transfer. The Luthra brothers will be produced before a judicial magistrate in Mapusa today as the investigation continues.
The duo fled India on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub killed 25 people. They had been staying at the Indigo Hotel in Phuket and were deported to India on Tuesday under escort by Thai authorities.
At Bangkok airport, the brothers were masked and surrounded by immigration officials, seated at the rear of the aircraft under security. They were produced at Delhi’s Patiala House Court at around 6.45 pm, where Goa Police sought 3 days of custody. The JMFC granted a 2 day transit remand. After a medical examination, they were taken back to the airport and flown to Goa, where they are expected to arrive at around 11 am on Wednesday, according to DySP Nilesh Rane.
Deportation process
Their passports were suspended by the Ministry of External Affairs after a lookout notice was issued, leading the Indian embassy in Thailand to provide emergency travel documents. The brothers had been detained by Thai authorities for overstaying illegally, and a special police team travelled to Phuket to facilitate their deportation.
Goa Police have registered an FIR against the brothers under multiple sections of the BNS, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Local courts had rejected their anticipatory transit bail last week.
Arrests of associates and cause of fire
Several associates linked to the nightclub have also been arrested, including Gurgaon resident Ajay Gupta, Delhi based Rajiv Modak and Priyanshu Thakur, and Uttar Pradesh natives Rajveer Singhania, Vivek Singh, and Bharat Kohli. Preliminary investigations indicate the fire broke out at around 11.45 pm on December 6, when more than 150 tourists were present at the club, after electric firecrackers struck the wooden ceiling.
