Goa Nightclub Owners Flee to Thailand Hours After Fatal Fire: Indian Agencies Pursue Deportation

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In a shocking turn of events, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Delhi-based nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, managed to escape to Thailand just five hours after a devastating fire claimed the lives of 25 people at their Goa club. The blaze occurred at around 12:04 am on Sunday, while the club was filled with partygoers. According to the Goa Police, the Luthra brothers boarded a flight from New Delhi to Phuket, Thailand, at 5:30 am on Sunday, taking IndiGo flight 6E 1073. The airline, which has been facing cancellations due to pilot work-hour regulations, has maintained that its international flights, including the one taken by the Luthras, were not affected. The police had reached the Luthras' residence in Delhi on Monday, only to find them gone. A look-out notice was issued against the brothers via the Bureau of Immigration, but they had already fled by the time it was issued. Saurabh Luthra took to Instagram to express his condolences for the victims, stating that the management was 'deeply shaken' by the incident and offered assistance to the families of the deceased. Indian agencies are now working with Thai authorities to locate and deport the Luthra brothers. Officials believe that, considering the friendly relations between India and Thailand, the fugitives will be brought back soon. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is pursuing to publish blue notices against the Luthras, which will allow Interpol member countries to locate and detain a wanted person in their jurisdiction. The CBI has a track record of successfully geolocating and bringing back over 200 fugitives involved in financial frauds, terrorism, drugs smuggling, and other crimes in the past few years. Investigators are also trying to determine if the Luthras or any of their family members transferred funds abroad or have investments in Thailand. India and Thailand signed a formal extradition treaty in 2013, which has been in force since 2015. The extradition process involves filing a charge sheet and sharing it with the country where the fugitive is hiding, whereas deportation is a more agency-to-agency cooperation mechanism.