Goa Nightclub Fire: The Luthra brothers, owners of Goa’s ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, where 25 people were killed in a blaze, have been held in Thailand. Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra have been taken to detention centres in Phuket and are expected to be deported to India soon. Indian agencies are consistently in touch with Thai authorities and are tracking the duo’s movements and stay.
The deportation process has been initiated. The swift, multi-agency operation started after immigration authorities flagged the Luthra brothers’ departure from India and alerted the Thai authorities, top government sources told CNN-News18.
Trail began at the Indian Immigration desk
According to reports, the trail was initiated at Indian immigration desks, where authorities confirmed that Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra had fled to Thailand. “This tracking down started from Indian immigration,” News 18 quoted a senior official as saying. Information on their movement was passed on to the Phuket police immediately after verification.
Thai authorities raid multiple locations, detain duo
Upon being alerted, the Thai authorities matched the details shared by Indian authorities and confirmed the entry of two individuals. A search operation was later launched across the island. According to sources, the Luthra brothers had moved out of their initial accommodation in Phuket. Raids were conducted at several locations, and the local police team found and detained them.
The duo is currently under the custody in Thailand as legal formalities proceed. “The legal process is on and they will be deported soon,” a senior government source told CNN-News18.
Luthra Brothers fled India hours after the fire tragedy
The two brothers fled India shortly after a massive blaze broke out in their ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub on December 6 that claimed 25 lives. They were held in Thailand after raids were carried out on Thursday morning in coordination with local police. They will be flown back to India after the immigration process is completed. Before the detention, the Goa Police had suspended their passports.
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