The Luthra brothers, wanted for the Goa nightclub fire that killed 25, have been detained in Thailand. India revoked their passports to force deportation
Brajesh Mishra
In a swift diplomatic and police operation, Thai immigration authorities detained Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra at a hotel in Phuket on December 10, 2025. The brothers, owners of the "Birch by Romeo Lane" nightclub in Goa, had been on the run since a devastating fire at their venue killed 25 people on December 6. Their capture marks the end of a four-day manhunt that began when they fled India just hours after the tragedy. They are now awaiting deportation to India to face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The tragedy unfolded at midnight on December 6 when electronic pyrotechnics ignited the flammable decor of the Arpora club, trapping patrons inside. As rescue teams pulled bodies from the wreckage, the Luthras were already planning their exit. Police investigations revealed that at 1:17 AM on December 7—barely an hour after the fire started—the brothers booked tickets to Thailand via MakeMyTrip and boarded an IndiGo flight at 5:30 AM. This calculated flight, while their club burned, became the primary evidence of their "guilty intent," dismantling their legal defense that they were merely traveling for business.
While headlines focus on the "Capture," the deeper story is the "Digital Breadcrumbs." In the age of digital transactions, escape is an illusion. The Luthra brothers were undone not just by police work, but by their own digital footprint. The timestamp on their flight booking—1:17 AM—destroys any claim of ignorance. It proves they knew the scale of the disaster and chose self-preservation over responsibility. Furthermore, the use of passport revocation as a "law enforcement hack" sets a powerful precedent: India has found a way to bypass the frustration of extradition treaties by weaponizing the visa status of fugitives in friendly nations.
This case serves as a grim warning to the hospitality sector in Goa and beyond. It exposes the "ticking time bomb" nature of unauthorized party venues operating with flammable materials and zero safety compliance. Politically, the swift arrest relieves pressure on the Goa government, which faced accusations of lax oversight. Legally, the deportation model used here could become the template for bringing back other economic offenders who flee to Southeast Asia, signaling that the "flight to safety" strategy is becoming obsolete.
If you book a flight while your customers are burning, have you just bought a ticket to prison?
Who are Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra? They are the founders of the "Romeo Lane" hospitality chain and owners of the "Birch" nightclub in Goa, where a fire on December 6, 2025, killed 25 people.
How were the Luthra brothers caught in Thailand? After they fled India, authorities revoked their passports and issued a Blue Corner Notice. Thai immigration detained them for visa violations (due to invalid passports) at a hotel in Phuket, acting on intelligence from Indian agencies.
What caused the Romeo Lane club fire in Goa? Preliminary investigations indicate that electronic pyrotechnics (sparklers) used during a live DJ performance ignited flammable decoration materials inside the club, leading to the massive blaze.
Will the Luthra brothers be extradited? No, they are likely to be deported. Extradition is a lengthy judicial process for criminal transfer. Deportation is a faster administrative process used when a foreigner violates immigration laws (like having a cancelled passport), allowing Thailand to simply send them back to their home country immediately.
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