How the Luthra brothers fled after the Goa nightclub fire, and how agencies caught them in Thailand

Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, linked to the Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub fire that killed 25 people, after being detained by Thai authorities in Phuket. The third image shows the charred remains of the nightclub in Goa where the tragedy occurred. - Photos: ANI

NEW DELHI: A cross-border operation involving multiple agencies in India and Thailand has led to the detention of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of Goa’s Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub, where 25 people died in a fire over the weekend. The brothers, who left India within five hours of the incident, were traced to Phuket after a rapid intelligence- and immigration-led pursuit.

Deportation proceedings have begun, and officials expect the duo to be brought back to India soon for further investigation.