 "Goa nightclub fire: Why Luthra brothers, detained in Thailand, will be deported not extradited")
Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of a nightclub in Goa that caught fire, killing 25 people last week, have been detained in Thailand. The brothers had fled to the Southeast Asian country hours after the deadly blaze at their Birch by Romeo Lane club in North Goa’s Arpora late Saturday (December 6) night.
The duo have been taken to detention centres in Phuket, reports say. Pictures released by the Thai Police show the two brothers in handcuffs, holding their passports.
Can India bring back the entrepenurs from Thailand? We take a look.
How Luthra brothers were tracked in Thailand
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra were detained by Thai Police after raids at multiple locations in Phuket.
The brothers had moved from their initial accommodation, which complicated their arrest. “They had changed one location but were finally found," an official told CNN-News18.
Goa Police revealed on Wednesday (December 10) that the brothers had booked tickets to Thailand to flee India within 90 minutes of the fire at their nightclub in Goa. As per the preliminary investigation by the Goa Police and the Directorate of Fire Services, the blaze was set off when electric firecrackers struck the wooden ceiling at the club on the night of December 6. The Mapusa fire control room received a call about the fire at 11:45 pm.
The brothers logged onto the MakeMyTrip (MMT) travel platform at 1:17 am on December 7. “While Goa police and fire services were battling the blaze and rescuing those trapped, the accused were preparing to flee the country,” the police alleged in a statement.
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View AllThe two accused took the IndiGo flight 6E 1073 from Delhi to Phuket at 5:30 am.
The hunt for the duo began soon after. The Goa Police had suspended the passports of the Luthra brothers, which made their stay in Thailand illegal. This helped the Indian authorities to get the brothers detained in the Southeast Asian country, sources told NDTV.
The multi-agency operation spanning the two countries kick-started after Indian immigration authorities raised an alarm about the duo’s departure and informed their Thai counterparts, top government sources told CNN-News18.
The authorities in India first confirmed that the Luthras had fled India and gone to Phuket. “This tracking down started from Indian immigration," a senior official said to CNN-News18.
After verifying their movement, the Thai police were alerted. Later, Thai immigration authorities confirmed the entry of two men who matched the details shared by India. Thai law enforcement agencies then launched a manhunt across the city. The duo were detained at a resort in Phuket, Times of India (TOI) reported.
The brothers are currently in Thai custody.
Earlier, a Blue Corner Notice was issued by Interpol against the Luthras. The brothers moved the Rohini court in Delhi on Wednesday, seeking transit anticipatory bail. The court will hear the matter on Thursday.
Can India bring back Luthra brothers from Thailand?
India and Thailand have an extradition treaty that allows both countries to bring back fugitives involved in serious offences from the other country.
The two nations signed an extradition treaty in 2013, which came into force on June 29, 2015.
Fugitives can be extradited for offences which are punishable under the laws of both countries.
“Where the request for extradition relates to a person who is wanted for the enforcement of a sentence of imprisonment or any other form of deprivation of liberty imposed for such an offence, extradition shall be granted only if a period of at least six months of such sentence remains to be served,” the treaty says.
The treaty also permits extradition in case of an “attempt to commit, or aiding, abetting, inciting or participating as an accomplice in the commission of an extraditable offence.”
The extradition request can, however, be rejected if the Requested State considers it a political offence. It can also be denied if the Requested State believes the fugitive is being targeted because of their race, religion, nationality or political opinion.
A request for extradition has to be made in writing and submitted to the Central Authority of the Requested State through diplomatic channels. If the accused person has to be prosecuted, a copy of the arrest warrant should also be attached.
However, in this case, the Luthra brothers are expected to be deported by Thailand to face trial in India. Extradition is a long process, which will include presenting evidence before a Thai court proving that the accused are guilty of a crime punishable by both Indian and Thai laws.
As the passports of the Luthra brothers are suspended, they are in Phuket without valid travel documents. This is an offence under Thailand’s immigration laws, and hence the duo can be removed as ‘undocumented foreigners’ from the country, as per NDTV.
What happens next?
The Delhi-based Luthra brothers will be deported from Thailand and handed over to the Indian authorities. A team has already reached the Southeast Asian country, sources told TOI.
Speaking to NDTV earlier, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, “Whether it is Thailand or anywhere else, we will pick them up from there and put them behind bars”.
#BreakingNews | Birch by Romeo Lane Fire: Absconding Owners Saurabh & Gaurav Luthra Held in Thailand; Third partner Ajay Gupta also detained in Delhi few days ago@kotakyesha shares more details #GoaNightClubFire #LuthraBrothers #GoaFireTragedy | @GrihaAtul pic.twitter.com/XgakH8gs4B
— News18 (@CNNnews18) December 11, 2025
So far, the police have arrested six people, including co-owner Ajay Gupta, nightclub’s chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur and employee Bharat Kohli, in the nightclub fire case.
With inputs from agencies
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