Goa Nightclub Fire: In a major development, the Goa Police have suspended the passports of the absconding Luthra brothers, days after the fire tragedy at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub killed 25 people on December 6. The nightclub owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, fled to Thailand as the fire broke out, an investigation revealed on Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Union government or an authorised official can suspend a passport as per the provisions of Section 10A of the Passports Act, 1967. Upon suspension, the individual cannot use the passport to travel out of India.
Luthra brothers face action
The Luthra brothers, who have already fled the country, have had their passports temporarily invalidated, barring them from traveling overseas. Reactivating it would mean fulfilling legal procedures or conditions. According to reports, in the case of nightclub owners, the government’s next move may be to cancel their passports.
At present, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra are reportedly in Phuket, Thailand, facing multiple look-out notices, an Interpol Blue Notice, and a criminal probe back home. A Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) had already been issued against them by a Goa court.
Goa nightclub fire investigation so far
Goa Police on Tuesday detained one more accused, co-owner Ajay Gupta, in connection with the fire incident at North Goa’s Birch by Romeo Lane restaurant-cum-bar. Gupta, a resident of Delhi, was found to be absconding when police arrived at his apartment. Following this, the officials issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him. In a statement, the Goa Police said, “Ajay Gupta has now been detained in Delhi. All accused are being dealt with strictly as per law, and the investigation is progressing on priority.”
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra booked flight tickets to Thailand as soon as the fire broke out at their ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ restaurant. According to officials, they logged onto the MakeMyTrip (MMT) at 1.17 am on December 7, when rescue operations were underway at the nightclub. Meanwhile, Immigration records show that the brothers boarded an IndiGo flight to Phuket from Delhi at 5.30 am.
Earlier on Wednesday, they failed to secure an interim relief from immediate arrest upon return from Thailand from a Delhi court.
