1. The Luthra brothers have issued a statement saying they will return to India on December 11 and cooperate fully with the judicial process in the Goa nightclub fire case.
2. They claim they have been misrepresented and assert they were not managing the club’s operations when the fire broke out.
3. The brothers were detained in Thailand after leaving India, and deportation proceedings began following requests from Indian authorities and an Interpol Blue Corner Notice.
The Luthra brothers, associated with the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa where a devastating fire killed 25 people, have issued a public statement declaring that they will return to India and follow the country’s judicial process. They said they have been “erroneously portrayed” in the case and emphasised that they are law-abiding citizens who have no intention of evading the law.
According to their statement, the brothers plan to arrive in India on December 11 and will cooperate fully with investigating authorities. They said they have full faith in the Indian judicial system and that their decision to return is independent of any legal remedies they have pursued or may pursue.
The brothers were detained in Thailand after leaving India shortly after the December 6 fire. Indian authorities had requested their detention, leading to their apprehension abroad and the initiation of deportation proceedings under the India–Thailand extradition framework. Interpol had also issued a Blue Corner Notice to assist in locating them.
In their legal filings, the brothers have argued that they were not managing or overseeing the nightclub’s operations at the time of the incident. They have claimed that an external performer was involved when the blaze began and have sought transit anticipatory bail as court hearings continue.
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, both primary owners of the Arpora-based nightclub, fled to Phuket in Thailand soon after the 6 December tragedy. Following their departure, an Interpol Blue Corner Notice was issued to trace their movements. Prior to this, Goa Police had issued a Look Out Circular for Ajay Gupta, one of the other four owners of the nightclub, after officers were unable to locate him at his Delhi residence. Gupta was later detained in Delhi, and officials say he will be arrested once formalities for his transfer to Goa are completed.
Police have also issued a Look Out Circular against another co-owner, Surinder Kumar Khosla, who holds British citizenship. Meanwhile, the investigation has led to the arrest of five members of the nightclub’s staff — chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur and employee Bharat Kohli.
The fire, which broke out around midnight on December 6 at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, resulted in the deaths of 25 people and has triggered a wide-ranging probe into responsibility and safety violations.