Luthra Brothers Held in Thailand Over Goa Club Fire; India Moves to Deport Them

The two brothers linked to the Goa nightclub fire that killed 25 people are believed to have been detained in Thailand, officials familiar with the matter said, adding that steps have begun to deport them to India to face trial.

India’s external affairs ministry is examining a request from the Goa government to revoke the passports of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora. The brothers left India hours after the December 6 blaze. An Interpol Blue Corner notice has already been issued at the CBI’s request.

According to investigators, the Luthras booked tickets to Thailand at 1:17 am on December 7—while firefighters and police were still struggling to extinguish the blaze and rescue those trapped inside. “Even as emergency teams were battling the fire, the Luthra brothers were preparing to flee the country,” an official said.

A New Delhi court on Wednesday refused to grant them interim protection from arrest. Their lawyers argued that the brothers were on a business trip, not absconding, and claimed they were licensees rather than owners, with daily operations handled by staff.

Meanwhile, Goa Police have arrested five managers and employees in connection with the fire, which broke out around midnight and rapidly engulfed the venue, located roughly 25 km from Panaji. Indian authorities are now coordinating with Thai officials as the deportation process moves forward.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said the inquiry report into the tragedy will be ready within eight days, as the state begins distributing compensation to victims’ families and intensifies safety checks across entertainment venues.