Goa Nightclub Fire Case: Luthra Brothers Deported To India From Bangkok, Arrested At Delhi Airport

New Delhi: After being deported from Thailand, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people died in a fire on December 6, landed in Delhi on Tuesday after spending 10 days on the run. The Goa police have formally arrested the duo.

The duo will be produced before the Patiala House court on charges of culpable homicide and negligence. They were detained in Phuket on December 11 following Indian diplomatic intervention, after an Interpol Blue Corner Notice was issued. The Goa police were already present at the airport.

The Luthras were brought back on an IndiGo flight, which landed in Delhi around 2 pm. A case of culpable homicide and negligence was registered against the brothers, with investigators alleging that their nightclub was operating in violation of mandatory safety norms, contributing to the scale of the tragedy.

The Luthra brothers are likely to be produced before the Mapusa Magistrate Court on December 17 after being brought to Goa for questioning.

Earlier on Thursday, a Delhi court rejected the anticipatory bail pleas filed by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra after considering a response submitted by the Goa Police.

During the hearing, Goa Police counsel Abhinav Mukherjee argued that the brothers had falsely claimed minimal involvement in the business and maintained that their foreign travel was pre-planned.