Luthra Brothers In Thai Custody, Goa Police Expect Handover Early Next Week

Phuket: The Indian Embassy in Bangkok has been working hand‑in‑hand with Thai officials after the two Birch nightclub owners, the Luthra brothers, were picked up in Phuket. According to sources, the Luthra brothers were detained following a direct request from the embassy, and Thai immigration is now processing the case under its own laws with a view to sending them back to India. A team from Goa has already touched down in Thailand, and Indian agencies are completing the paperwork, hoping the brothers will be on a flight home within days.

As the diplomatic approach to bring back the Goa nightclub's tragedy accused brothers is underway, the Goa police have kept a tight grip on another figure linked to the tragedy. Bharat Kohli, who was in charge of operations at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, had his police custody extended by 6 days. The extra time granted by the court is meant to let investigators dig deeper into his role and gather any missing pieces of the puzzle.

Court Notice Over Bail Applications

The Mapusa session court has issued a notice concerning anticipatory bail applications filed by Arpora panchayat sarpanch Roshan Redkar and secretary Raghuvir Bagkar. The police asked for more time to submit a detailed reply, and the judge gave them until 2.30 pm on December 16 to do so, after which arguments will be heard .

The investigating teams have spoken to over 50 people so far, comprising officials, workers and victims’ relatives. Their accounts are helping paint a clearer picture of what went wrong on the night of December 6, when a blaze ripped through the nightclub, claiming 25 lives, five of them tourists and the rest staff members .

Diplomatic Push From Bangkok

As per reports, the Embassy of India in Bangkok is actively coordinating with Thai authorities over the case. The two brothers were detained in Phuket after the embassy’s intervention, and Thai officials are now moving through the local legal process, including the steps needed for deportation . An emergency travel certificate is expected to be issued soon, as their passports have been cancelled.

Meanwhile, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant addressed the tragedy with a firm promise. He said the government would work to give justice to the 25 people who lost their lives and that the club owners would be put behind bars. He outlined the actions already taken in the case, including 6 arrests, 3 suspensions, a fast‑track investigation, one of the three owners detained in Delhi, a Look‑Out Circular (LoC) issued for the other two, and the cancellation of their passports. He added that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Home Minister had helped secure the brothers’ detention in Thailand and that a joint team from Goa and central agencies would bring them back to face the law.

Electric Firecrackers Suspected Of Sparking Fire During Performance

In addition to the arrests, the investigators have suspended three officials and are pursuing leads that suggest the fire may have been triggered by electric firecrackers used during a performance. The combination of safety lapses, too few exits, a thatched roof and stacked alcohol turned the venue into a death trap within minutes .

The Thai authorities are expected to finalise the deportation paperwork, after which the brothers will be flown to Delhi and then escorted to Goa. The Mapusa court will decide on the bail applications for the panchayat officials, while the police continue to piece together the night’s events.