A Delhi court on Tuesday granted a 48-hour transit remand to the Goa Police for Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra. The two brothers own the Goa nightclub that was linked to a tragic fire earlier this month, which claimed 25 lives.

The accused were produced before the Patiala House Court after they were deported from Thailand. They had reportedly fled India soon after the incident.

Arrest after arrival in Delhi

Goa Police took the brothers into custody as soon as they arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. Officials completed legal formalities before presenting them in court.

The Luthra brothers were brought back from Bangkok on an emergency certificate. They landed in Delhi on an IndiGo flight at around 2.10 pm and were arrested immediately after landing.

Teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Goa Police later produced them before the court and sought transit remand to take them to Goa for further investigation.

Emotional scenes in court

During the court hearing, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra were seen breaking down and crying after coming face to face with their family members inside the courtroom.

Allegations of fleeing the country

Investigators allege that the brothers left India just hours after the fire broke out on December 6. At that time, rescue and firefighting operations were still underway at the nightclub.

Thai authorities detained them last week for overstaying without valid travel documents. After their detention, they were moved to Bangkok.

Passport action and deportation

The Regional Passport Office in New Delhi later issued notices to the brothers, seeking clarification about their travel documents. After a lookout circular was issued, the Ministry of External Affairs formally impounded their passports.

India and Thailand have an extradition treaty, which helped in bringing the accused back to India.

How the fire started

The fire reportedly broke out around 11.45 pm, when more than 150 people were inside the nightclub for an event. A preliminary probe by the police and the Directorate of Fire Services found that electric firecrackers struck the wooden ceiling.

This caused the structure to catch fire quickly and led to the deadly blaze.

Illegal operations under scanner

Goa Police investigations have revealed that the nightclub had allegedly been operating illegally for nearly 18 months. It reportedly lacked mandatory approvals and was running on an expired licence that had not been renewed since 2024. Despite these serious violations, no enforcement action was taken before the fatal fire.

Multiple arrests in the case

Several arrests have already been made in connection with the incident. Those arrested include Gurgaon-based partner Ajay Gupta, senior management staff of the nightclub, and other key personnel linked to its operations.

The investigation is ongoing as Goa Police prepare to question the Luthra brothers further after taking them to the state.