Luthra brothers connected to the deadly fire at a Goa nightclub, which claimed 25 lives, are believed to have been caught in Thailand. Officials say the process to bring them back to India for trial has already started. Visuals of them in handcuffs have emerged. Reportedly, Indian officials have left for Thailand to bring the accused back to India.
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Goa nightclub who fled to Thailand hours after a massive fire killed 25, detained in Phuket. @gauravcsawant with more details#Goa #NorthGoa #Nighclubfiretragedy pic.twitter.com/n61CIk32X5
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) December 11, 2025
The Ministry of External Affairs is looking into a request from the Goa government to cancel the passports of Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, who are co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa. They left India shortly after the fire on 6th December in Arpora. An Interpol Blue Corner notice has been issued against them at the request of the CBI.
According to the Goa Police investigation, the brothers booked their flights to Thailand at 1:17 am on 7th December, right when emergency teams were still fighting the fire and trying to rescue people trapped inside the club. An official said that while rescue teams were working hard, the Luthra brothers were quietly preparing to leave the country.
Earlier on Wednesday, a court in New Delhi refused to give the brothers temporary protection from arrest. Their lawyers argued that the brothers were on a business trip, not fleeing, and said they were only licensees, not owners of the club. They also claimed that the day-to-day running of the club was handled by the staff, so the brothers shouldn’t be held directly responsible.
Meanwhile, the Goa Police have arrested five managers and staff in connection with the fire. The blaze started around midnight and quickly spread, engulfing the club located about 25 km from Panaji. Authorities in India are working closely with their counterparts in Thailand as the deportation process progresses.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the investigation report will be ready within eight days. The state has begun paying compensation to the families of the victims and is tightening safety inspections at all entertainment venues.