The co-owners of the infamous Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa, which was gutted by a deadly fire in December, have been deported from Thailand and are set to land in India to face justice. Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra are expected to arrive at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport around 1:45 pm today, where they will be formally arrested by the Goa Police.
The Escape and International Manhunt
In a brazen move mere hours after the devastating fire broke out on December 6, the Luthra brothers booked tickets for a flight to Phuket, Thailand. They took off on IndiGo flight 6E-1073 at approximately 5:30 am on December 7, even as rescue operations were ongoing at their club. The fire, which preliminary investigations suggest was triggered by electric firecrackers hitting the wooden ceiling, claimed 25 lives and left several guests trapped in a basement.
Following their escape, Indian authorities swung into action. The Goa police obtained arrest warrants, searched their residences and offices in Delhi, and issued lookout circulars. The Regional Passport Office in New Delhi issued notices to the brothers, asking why their passports should not be impounded. When they failed to respond, their passports were suspended, rendering them illegal residents in Thailand.
A special team of CBI and intelligence officials flew to Phuket last Saturday to coordinate the deportation. The brothers were eventually detained by Thai authorities from the Hotel Indigo in Patong, Phuket, and moved to an immigration detention centre in Bangkok. Since their Indian passports were invalidated, the Indian Embassy in Thailand issued an Emergency Travel Certificate—a one-way travel document—to facilitate their forced return to India.
Legal Process and Pending Arrest
Upon their arrival in Delhi, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra will be taken into custody by a joint team of the Delhi Crime Branch and Goa Police. The authorities will then produce them before the Patiala House Court to seek transit remand. Following the court proceedings, they are likely to be flown to Goa later tonight to face charges directly related to the tragedy.
Goa's Director General of Police, Alok Kumar, confirmed the arrest plan and the deportation timeline, which he initially estimated would take "at least four days." The process was facilitated by a formal extradition treaty between India and Thailand, signed in 2013 and enforced in June 2015. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also confirmed that a police escort would accompany the brothers and emphasized their immediate arrest upon Indian soil.
Revelations of Illegal Operations and Wider Arrests
The police investigation into the Birch nightclub has uncovered shocking operational lapses. The probe revealed that the upscale venue had been operating illegally for the past 18 months. It was running on an expired licence that was never renewed after 2024 and lacked several other necessary permissions. Despite these glaring violations, no local authority had taken action against the club prior to the disaster.
The Luthra brothers are not the only ones facing legal consequences. So far, the Goa Police have arrested six other individuals connected to the club's management:
- Ajay Gupta (55), a partner from Gurgaon
- Rajiv Modak (49), Chief General Manager
- Priyanshu Thakur (32), Gate Manager
- Rajveer Singhania (32), Bar Manager
- Vivek Singh (27), General Manager
- Bharat Kohli, Operations Manager
The deportation of the prime accused marks a critical step in the quest for accountability for one of Goa's worst nightlife tragedies. The eyes of the nation are now on the judicial process that will unfold as the Luthra brothers are brought back to face the consequences of the fatal night of December 6.
