New photographs of the Luthra brothers, owners of Goa’s nightclub Birch By Romeo Lane where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6, show the moment the duo was detained from their hotel room in Thailand
on India’s request.
Both Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled India soon after the incident, reportedly fearing arrest as the investigation began to focus on their role. Through their lawyer, the Delhi-based restaurateurs approached a court in the Capital for anticipatory bail, claiming they could not be held liable because they were not at the club when the fire broke out.
However, authorities moved to corner the accused by suspending their passports. CNN-News18 has learnt that Indian immigration authorities flagged their departure and alerted their Thai counterparts. Thai immigration authorities subsequently confirmed the entry of the two individuals matching the details shared by India. With the confirmation in hand, Thai law-enforcement agencies launched a search across the island and eventually detained the brothers from Hotel Indigo, Patong.
CNN-News18 has learnt that both the brothers are in police custody now, and they will be brought to Bangkok from Phuket. Thereafter, their visa will be cancelled, and they will be taken to a detention centre.
In the meantime, the Indian side will cancel their passport. Sources said the government is taking legal opinion on passport cancellation. The duo is expected to be brought back to India in three-four days.
