Thailand begins deportation process for Luthra brothers, expected in India next week

Mpost bureau

Panaji/New Delhi: Authorities in Thailand have begun the process of deporting Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people died in a fire on December 6, government sources said on Friday. The brothers, currently detained in Phuket, are likely to be brought back to India next week, as legal and bureaucratic procedures are expected to take time, particularly over the weekend. They had travelled to Phuket soon after the incident.

Officials in Delhi said the Indian embassy in Bangkok is coordinating closely with Thai authorities. “The Thai authorities are presently taking action as per local laws, including for sending the two individuals back to India,” one source said. A Delhi court on Wednesday declined to grant interim protection from arrest to the duo, while their business partner has already been detained. Goa Police have so far arrested five managers and staff members linked to the nightclub in Arpora, located 25 km from Panaji. Investigators have recorded statements of at least 50 people.

As the probe continues, a local resident, Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, who says he is the original owner of the land where the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub operated, has alleged irregular changes in land zoning. He claimed that a portion of his saltpan land was converted into a settlement zone without his knowledge. Amonkar said he had entered into a sale agreement with Surinder Kumar Khosla in 2004, which was later withdrawn, adding that his legal case has been pending for 21 years. He said he recently discovered that “the government quietly changed the zoning of my land without informing me.” A senior Town and Country Planning official said an inquiry is underway.

Political reactions have intensified. At a public meeting, Arvind Kejriwal criticised the state government, alleging the nightclub operated without permissions by paying “hafta” to officials. Meanwhile, the BJP has asked two of its leaders, MLA Michael Lobo and former tourism minister Dilip Parulekar, to clarify their remarks about corruption in the beach belt.