Goa nightclub fire: Thailand deports owners Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra to India

Thai authorities on Tuesday, December 16, deported Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire earlier this month, to India amid an ongoing investigation into the tragedy.

The two were put on a flight to Delhi and will be handed over to Indian authorities upon arrival, sources said. They are expected to be produced before a Delhi court for further legal proceedings. A case of culpable homicide and negligence has been registered against them in connection with the December 6 fire.

Videos circulating online showed Gaurav Luthra (44) and Saurabh Luthra (40) being escorted by Thai police at Bangkok airport ahead of their departure. The deportation comes days after the brothers were detained in Phuket on December 11 following the intervention of the Indian mission, which remained in close coordination with the Thai government.

The Luthra brothers are co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in Arpora, North Goa. They had left India for Thailand shortly after the fire, though they were reportedly attending a wedding in Delhi at the time of the incident. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice was later issued against them.

The blaze triggered widespread outrage and raised serious questions over alleged safety violations and lapses by the nightclub management. The Indian government cancelled the passports of the two brothers and submitted a dossier to Thai authorities alleging their involvement in the deaths, formally seeking their deportation. India and Thailand have an Extradition Treaty in place, which came into force in June 2015.

So far, the Goa Police have arrested five managers and staff members of the nightclub in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation, observing that “someone has to be held accountable” for the tragedy.