Nightclub Ablaze, Vacation Aboard: Luthra Brothers Flew To Thailand At The Time of Incident

The investigation into the Goa nightclub inferno that killed at least 25 people on 6 December now suggests the owners tried to flee while the fire was still being tackled, with brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra allegedly arranging flights to Thailand as emergency teams fought the blaze and pulled guests from the Arpora venue.

Officials state that the Luthra brothers accessed the MakeMyTrip travel portal at 1:17 AM on 7 December, while Goa Police and Fire Services personnel continued rescue efforts at the nightclub. Immigration records then show both boarded IndiGo flight 6E 1073 from Delhi to Phuket, which departed at 5:30 AM, and an Interpol Blue Corner Notice remains active for the pair.

Goa nightclub fire investigation tracks Luthra brothers and co-owners

In Delhi, Rohini Court on Wednesday heard a transit anticipatory bail plea from Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, where the brothers requested four weeks’ protection from arrest and interim relief, arguing this would let them travel back from Thailand to Delhi without facing immediate custody on arrival in India.

Goa Police officers positioned in the capital also produced Ajay Gupta, one of four owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, before a Delhi magistrate, after Gupta was earlier reported missing and a Look Out Circular was issued when officers could not locate Gupta at the registered address; Gupta is now under detention in Delhi, has undergone a medical check, and will be taken to Goa for arrest and questioning, while another co-owner, British national Surinder Kumar Khosla, is also subject to a Look Out Circular, according to police sources.

Goa nightclub fire probe examines phones, SIM and vehicles of Luthra brothers

Fresh lines of inquiry now focus on the mobile number used by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, after investigators found the SIM linked to that phone was registered under the name of former family driver Ram Hari Singh, raising questions about the use of another person’s identity while the brothers were allegedly making travel plans.

Police sources report inconsistencies involving vehicles connected to the Luthra family, saying records show the brothers owned three cars until 2020, yet before leaving India they were believed to control more than four luxury cars, all of which are currently missing, and officers are analysing whether these vehicles were intentionally removed before Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra flew to Thailand.

Investigators have also visited the Luthra family’s large house in Goa, which was built about two years ago at a cost running into crores, and found the property abandoned since the nightclub fire, with only a dog present inside the compound, while parallel efforts continue through court hearings, police work across states, and international alerts to piece together every detail of the Goa nightclub fire tragedy and the movements of those who owned the club.