Passports of Prime Accused Luthra Brothers Suspended as Goa Nightclub Fire Probe Deepens

Goa, Dec 2025 : In a major step forward in the investigation into the devastating Goa nightclub fire, authorities have suspended the passports of the prime accused brothers, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The suspension aims to prevent any further international movement by the duo, who are currently in Thailand, and to accelerate efforts to bring them back to India through diplomatic and legal channels.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Central government or any designated authority is empowered to suspend a passport under Section 10A of the Passports Act, 1967. Once suspended, the passport immediately becomes invalid for international travel. Officials indicated that this suspension is a regular step in criminal investigations, and the next likely move is a complete cancellation of the passports.

Authorities believe that the suspension significantly improves India’s prospects of securing the deportation of the Luthra brothers from Phuket, especially with the assistance of INTERPOL. The duo reportedly left India for Thailand almost immediately after the catastrophic fire that killed 25 people last week at the nightclub ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’.

Fresh details that emerged on Wednesday reveal a troubling timeline. Online travel logs show that the brothers accessed the MakeMyTrip (MMT) booking platform at 1:17 a.m. on December 7, at a time when emergency teams were fighting the massive blaze and pulling out those trapped inside the club. Further, immigration records confirm that they boarded the IndiGo flight 6E 1073 from Delhi at 5:30 a.m., barely hours after the tragedy unfolded.

Even as these revelations intensified scrutiny around their departure, the Luthra brothers filed an anticipatory bail plea before Delhi’s Rohini Court on Wednesday. Their legal counsel argued that Saurabh had travelled abroad on December 6 for “professional engagements and potential restaurant sites” in Thailand and insisted that the trip was not an attempt to flee the country. The plea also stated that the brothers were seeking “legal protection to return to India without immediate arrest.”

However, the court refused to grant interim relief, scheduling the matter for a detailed hearing on Thursday. The Goa Police strongly opposed any protection, maintaining that the brothers had escaped within hours of the incident and must not be granted legal advantage while staying abroad.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Goa Police presented another accused, Ajay Gupta, before a magistrate in Delhi on Wednesday. Following medical formalities, he will be transported to Goa for further interrogation. Officials indicated that more arrests are expected as the probe expands to reconstruct the events leading up to the fire and to examine the suspects’ alleged attempts to evade responsibility.

The tragic inferno, which erupted around midnight on Sunday, tore through the nightclub located near the Arpora River backwaters in the busy Baga area—one of Goa’s top tourist hubs. Among the 25 victims were four tourists and 14 staff members. Investigators reported that the club’s narrow entry and exit points severely hampered evacuation efforts and contributed tragically to the high casualty count.

As the investigation accelerates on multiple fronts—legal, forensic, and diplomatic—authorities remain focused on ensuring accountability for one of Goa’s deadliest nightclub disasters in recent years.