Goa Nightclub Fire: Luthra Brothers To Land In Delhi Tomorrow, Transit Remand To Be Sought

New Delhi: In a major development in the investigation into the deadly Goa fire incident, the Luthra brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, key accused in the case, will arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday, where they will be taken into custody by the Goa Police, officials said.

According to sources, a Goa Police team will formally take custody of the accused upon their arrival at the airport. The brothers will then be produced before a Delhi court, where the investigating agency will seek transit remand to take them to Goa for further questioning.

Officials clarified that the Goa Police are not travelling to Thailand in connection with the case, contrary to some speculation.

Co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in North Goa, the brothers had left for Phuket shortly after a fire broke out at their nightclub on December 6. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice had been issued against them.

The duo was held in a detention centre in the Thai capital Bangkok having been moved there after their detention in Phuket. Deportation procedures of the Luthra brothers from Thailand had been underway ever since.

The Thai Police had detained the brothers from a resort in Phuket on Thursday after India had moved to suspend their passports. The local police had said the detention followed a request from Indian law enforcement. According to Thai authorities, an Indian law enforcement team was also coordinating formalities for the brothers’ return.

Once the transit remand is granted, the accused will be brought to Goa to face the investigation in connection with the fire incident that left 25 people dead and triggered widespread outrage over alleged lapses in safety and regulatory compliance.

The production of the Luthra brothers before a Delhi court is mandatory as the arrests and custody transfer are taking place outside Goa’s jurisdiction. After completing the legal formalities, the accused will be taken to Goa under police custody.

Last week, a Delhi court had refused to grant the brothers interim protection from arrest, while their business partner Ajay Gupta was taken into custody in connection with the incident. During the hearing, the Luthras’ counsel denied allegations that they had fled the country, saying the Thailand trip was for a business meeting and arguing that the brothers were only licensees and not the actual owners of the nightclub.

Following the incident, the Goa Police had launched a manhunt for the accused, issuing lookout notices and coordinating with central agencies to trace their movements. Their arrival in Delhi comes after weeks of investigation and coordination between state and central law enforcement agencies.