ARVIND TENGSE IN PANJIM
GOA/NEW DELHI: The Luthra brothers, facing charges of culpable homicide in connection with the deaths of 25 people at their nightclub in Goa, were denied bail by a Delhi court on Thursday evening. Their troubles appear to be mounting, and they are now under the scrutiny of enforcement agencies.
The brothers are currently in the custody of the Thai government awaiting extradition to India; they will be brought from Phuket to the capital Bangkok to complete the processing formalities.
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled India in the early hours of Saturday at 1:17 am while firefighters were battling a blaze at their flagship property, ‘Burch by Romeo Lane’, located in the middle of a lake in Arpora, Goa. Police said they had booked tickets on an IndiGo flight to Phuket at 1:17 am, while on Wednesday they filed a petition seeking immediate interim protection from arrest – which was promptly rejected – and also sought anticipatory transit bail, which has now been denied.
During today’s hearing, the Luthra brothers’ lawyer declared that the brothers are also “human beings” and tried to elicit sympathy on the grounds that they employ thousands of people. Senior advocate Tanveer Ahmed Mir, appearing for the brothers, also argued that his clients were not present at the time of the fire and therefore, could not be held criminally responsible. He stated that the brothers have several businesses and do not personally oversee the day-to-day affairs.
He argued that the deaths were a result of ‘negligence’ – a spark from a fireworks display was blamed for the fire – and there was no ‘intent’ on the part of the brothers. It was also stated that the club had all the necessary permits, including those for food safety and liquor sales, although reports suggest it did not comply with fire safety regulations, which include ensuring easy access for emergency personnel and fire extinguishers. Meer also announced that the brothers had not left the country after the ‘₹5,000 crore fraud’ – an indirect reference to fugitive economic offenders who have sought refuge abroad with thousands of crores in debt. The prosecution refuted this, pointing to the circumstances under which the Luthra brothers left the country.
The tickets were booked just hours before departure and while the club was still burning. The brothers had initially argued that they had gone to Thailand on business, but were now afraid to return for fear of ‘custodial action’; that is, arrest upon arrival at the airport. But the prosecution argued that the trip to Thailand indicated an attempt to evade the law. The prosecution stated:
Therefore, no interim relief should be granted.
It is expected that Thailand will deport the brothers within the next 24 hours. According to sources, a team from the Goa Police will travel to Bangkok later today to complete the paperwork. India has an extradition treaty with Thailand. However, Delhi has pressed for the deportation of the Luthra brothers, as this would take less time than filing a formal extradition request, which would then have to go through the Thai courts. To initiate the deportation process, the Indian government suspended the passports of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra on Wednesday, making them violators of Thai immigration laws. Sources said this triggered the deportation process, which is expected to be expedited by the issuance of a Blue Corner Notice by the international police organization Interpol. So far, five people have been arrested, including Ajay Gupta, one of the four co-owners.
Meanwhile, an examination of corporate records has revealed a network of 42 companies linked to Delhi restaurant owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra. The two brothers are at the center of the December 6 fire at a Goa nightclub that killed 25 people. Corporate filings reveal that the Luthra brothers are directors or partners in 42 different companies, including private limited firms and limited liability partnerships (LLPs).
In an unusual pattern noted by investigators, most of these companies are registered at the same address: 2590, Ground Floor, Hudson Lane, North West Delhi. Questions have been raised about the scale and structure of the Luthra brothers’ business operations, their financial practices, and the credibility of their corporate claims, including a claim of global presence that appears unsubstantiated on paper. These revelations come amidst a criminal investigation into a fire at the Luthra brothers’ Goa nightclub, ‘Birch by Romeo Lane,’ and the brothers’ subsequent flight to Thailand within hours of the fire.
(Bureau Report with media inputs).

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