The Ministry of External Affairs is now examining a formal request from the Goa government to cancel the passports of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, the owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ shack where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives last Saturday. According to official sources, the request was submitted under the provisions of the Passports Act, and the Centre has begun the process of reviewing it.
The Luthra brothers left India within hours of the incident. Less than five hours after the fire—and even before a Lookout Circular could be issued—they boarded an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Phuket. Investigators have since discovered that they booked their Thailand tickets on the MakeMyTrip platform at 1:17 am on December 7, precisely when Goa Police and Fire Services were attempting to control the blaze and rescue victims trapped inside the shack.
During a hearing in Delhi, the brothers claimed their travel plans were unrelated to the incident. Their lawyer told the Rohini Court that Saurabh had already departed for Thailand on December 6 for a scheduled business meeting. He argued that the visit was intended for professional commitments and an assessment of potential new restaurant locations, maintaining that the trip was not an attempt to flee the country. The defence sought legal protection to allow the brothers to return to India without immediate arrest.
In parallel developments, the Goa Police produced another key accused, Ajay Gupta, before a Delhi magistrate on Wednesday. After completing his medical examination, he will be transported to Goa for further questioning. Officials say the investigation is advancing quickly, with more arrests expected as they reconstruct the events that led to the fire and the suspected efforts by the main accused to evade authorities soon after the tragedy.
The matter remains under consideration in the Delhi Rohini Court, where the Luthra brothers’ petition will be evaluated along with the Goa government’s formal response.
