Goa Nightclub Fire: Delhi Court Grants 48-Hour Transit Remand Of Luthra Brothers To Goa Police

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted the Goa Police a 48-hour transit remand of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of the Goa nightclub linked to the devastating fire that killed 25 people earlier this month.

The two brothers were produced before the Patiala House Court after being deported from Thailand, where they had fled following the incident.

Goa Police took custody of the accused upon their arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport and completed the necessary legal formalities before presenting them in court.

During the court proceedings, both Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra were seen breaking down and weeping after coming face to face with their family members.

The Luthra brothers were brought back to India from Bangkok on an emergency certificate

and arrived in Delhi on an IndiGo flight at around 2.10 pm.

They were arrested immediately after landing and later produced before the court by teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and the Goa Police, which sought transit remand to take them to Goa for further investigation.

Investigators allege that the brothers left the country just hours after the deadly blaze on December 6, even as rescue and firefighting operations were still underway at the nightclub.

Thai authorities detained them last week for overstaying without valid travel documents, following which they were shifted to Bangkok.

Subsequently, the Regional Passport Office in New Delhi issued notices to the brothers seeking an explanation over their travel documents.

After a lookout circular was issued, the Ministry of External Affairs formally impounded their passports. India and Thailand share an extradition treaty, which facilitated their return.

The fire broke out around 11.45 pm when more than 150 people were present at the nightclub for an event.

A preliminary investigation by the police and the Directorate of Fire Services revealed that the blaze was triggered after electric firecrackers hit the wooden ceiling, causing the structure to catch fire rapidly.

Goa Police investigations have also found that the nightclub had allegedly been operating illegally for nearly 18 months without mandatory approvals and on an expired licence that had not been renewed since 2024.

Despite these violations, no enforcement action was taken before the fatal incident.

So far, several arrests have been made in the case, including Gurgaon-based partner Ajay Gupta, senior management staff of the nightclub, and other key personnel involved in its operations.