NEW DELHI, Dec 15: A legal team representing Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Goa’s Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, met the brothers at a detention centre in Thailand on Monday, as efforts to deport them back to India gather pace, ANI reported. The meeting lasted around 30 minutes, during which the lawyers briefed the Luthra brothers on the upcoming legal procedures.
The developments follow a Delhi court’s rejection of their anticipatory bail plea in connection with the devastating nightclub fire that killed 25 people and injured six others. The Rohini court dismissed the plea on December 11, even as the brothers remained detained in Thailand after leaving India shortly after the incident.
Goa Police officials challenged claims by the Luthra brothers of minimal involvement in the nightclub’s operations, producing multiple documents including FSSAI and GST records, as well as a Pollution Control Board application, indicating the brothers’ active role in the business. Authorities also highlighted that the club’s Panchayat licence had expired, and it was operating without valid permission.
The prosecution said the brothers booked a flight at 1:15 am on December 7, shortly after the fire broke out, and flew to Thailand at 5 am pointing to an attempt to evade arrest. Non-bailable warrants, a Look Out Circular, and a Blue Corner Notice had been issued after their family claimed to be unaware of their whereabouts.
Investigators also emphasised safety violations, including a single narrow exit and the use of inflammable materials during a fire show that immediately preceded the blaze, as key factors contributing to the tragedy.
The Luthra brothers’ lawyer, Tanveer Ahmed, contended that his clients were not fugitives and had informed their travel plans in advance. He alleged a personal vendetta by government agencies and said the brothers’ properties were being vandalised, maintaining that they are businessmen, not fraudsters.
A coordinated multi-agency operation across India and Thailand led to the brothers’ detention, and deportation formalities are now underway, officials confirmed.