NEW DELHI: The Indian Embassy in Bangkok is in close coordination with Thai authorities following the detention of Goa nightclub owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra in Phuket, sources said to news agency ANI. The duo, owners of the now-charred nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in Goa’s Arpora, are currently in Thai custody and are being processed for deportation to India in accordance with local laws. A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation arrived in Phuket on Saturday to complete formalities related to the brothers’ return.The Indian embassy is issuing emergency certificates, one-way travel documents to facilitate their deportation after their Indian passports were suspended by the Union government, officials confirmed. Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant told The Times of India that the investigative team had reached Thailand and that the process to bring the Luthra brothers back was underway. Goa DGP Alok Kumar also said the duo was expected to be in India next week. The Luthra brothers were detained by Thai authorities last week after it emerged that they were staying in the country illegally. They had fled India just hours after a massive fire broke out at their nightclub in Arpora on the night of December 6, even as police and fire personnel were still battling the blaze and rescuing trapped patrons. Following their departure, the regional passport office in New Delhi issued notices to both brothers, seeking explanations on why action should not be initiated to impound their passports. Soon after a lookout notice was issued, the Ministry of External Affairs moved to suspend their travel documents, rendering their stay in Thailand unlawful and prompting local authorities to detain them. India and Thailand have a formal extradition treaty, signed in 2013 and in force since June 29, 2015. While the current process involves deportation rather than extradition, officials said the treaty provides a robust legal framework for cooperation in such cases. Meanwhile, the Goa police investigation into the devastating fire at Birch by Romeo Lane has revealed glaring regulatory lapses. Investigators found that the nightclub had been operating illegally for nearly 18 months without mandatory permissions and on an expired license. A senior officer involved in the probe said the license had not been renewed because the establishment failed to obtain required clearances since 2024. So far, several arrests have been made in connection with the case. These include Gurgaon resident Ajay Gupta (55), a business partner of the Luthra brothers; New Delhi natives Rajiv Modak (49), the club’s chief general manager, and Priyanshu Thakur (32), the gate manager; Uttar Pradesh natives Rajveer Singhania (32), bar manager, and Vivek Singh (27), general manager; and Delhi-based Bharat Kohli. According to police, more than 150 tourists were inside the nightclub when the fire broke out around 11.45 pm during a weekend event. A preliminary probe by the police and the directorate of fire services concluded that electric firecrackers used during the event struck the wooden ceiling, triggering the blaze that rapidly engulfed the premises and claimed 25 lives. Goa police continue to record statements of government officials, fire department personnel and others as the investigation widens, even as efforts intensify to bring the main accused back to India to face criminal proceedings.
