Police arrest Luthra brothers in Thailand days after Goa night club fire

The owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' club in Goa, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, have been detained in Phuket, Thailand, following a massive blaze that killed 25 people in their club due to a suspected cylinder blast on Saturday. The two brothers had fled India barely five hours after the tragic fire, taking an IndiGo flight from Delhi. Authorities had issued a Look-Out Circular and an Interpol Blue Notice against them to facilitate their capture. A Goa Police team is now preparing to travel to Thailand to take custody of the brothers and bring them back to India to face trial.

The timing of their escape has raised significant suspicion. Police uncovered that the brothers booked their flight tickets to Thailand at 1:17 AM on December 7, which was precisely when firefighters and police personnel were still attempting to douse the blaze and conduct rescue operations at their Arpora nightclub. Their successful escape on an IndiGo flight, amidst the airline's well-documented nationwide meltdown of cancellations and delays, further fueled speculation about their urgent motives.

The Luthra brothers had previously attempted to secure protection from arrest by approaching a Rohini court in Delhi, seeking pre-arrest bail. In their defense, they claimed that their journey to Thailand was not an escape but a pre-planned business meeting. They also asserted to the court that they were not involved in the club’s day-to-day operations and argued that the authorities were targeting them with "vindictive behaviour." These claims, however, appear to have failed to prevent their detention.