Goa Nightclub fire: MEA mulls revoking passports of Luthra brothers

Acting on the request of the Goa Government, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is considering revoking the passports of Luthra brothers Gaurav and Saurabh who are accused in the Goa fire tragedy on Sunday.

The MEA has received a communication from the Goa Government with regard to Gaurav and Saurabh. “It is examining the request to revoke the passports under the Passports Act of India, as per the rules,” the sources added.

Saurabh and Gaurav had fled to Thailand amid the probe, anticipating their arrest in the case. They had booked tickets to Thailand within an hour of learning about the fire at their establishment, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the investigation by the Goa Police, both Luthra brothers booked their tickets for Phuket in Thailand through a travel portal at 1.17 am of December 7.

At this time, the police and administration were battling the blaze at the nightclub ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ at Arpora in North Goa, and trying to rescue their staff.

On Wednesday, the Luthras failed to get an interim relief as a Delhi court posted their plea for an anticipatory bail for Thursday. The two left in an IndiGo plane for Phuket in the early hours of Sunday.

The Goa Police on Wednesday arrested Ajay Gupta, a partner in the controversial 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, while two absconding owners failed to secure interim relief from a Delhi court on their plea for anticipatory bail.

Gupta, who claimed to be an investor and a silent partner in the club located in North Goa, was detained by the crime branch of the Delhi Police, following a request from their Goa counterparts. He was later produced before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vinod Joshi, who granted the Goa Police a 36-hour transit remand due to the ongoing aviation crisis caused by disrupted IndiGo flights.

Court refuses anticipatory bail, seeks response from Goa authorities

Meanwhile, the absconding owners, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, who fled to Thailand barely few hours after the blaze, failed to secure interim relief from a Delhi court on their plea for anticipatory bail.

The court has sought a response from the Goa authorities and postponed the hearing until Thursday. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice remains active against the two.

Additional Sessions Judge Vandana, who was hearing the transit anticipatory bail of the accused brothers, sought a response from Goa Police and set the next date of hearing for Thursday.