Luthras’ Deportation Process Awaits Issuance Of Emergency Travel Certificates, CBI Team To Fly To Thailand To Get Them Back

The deportation of the Luthra brothers of the infamous Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub where at least 25 persons were killed in a fire is awaiting the issuance of emergency travel certificates – documents which will enable them to travel to India as the Delhi RPO under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has impounded the passports of both the duo.
TDG has learnt that the process of the issuance of the certificates is only possible on Monday now given that the Thai authorities do not work over the weekend.
Speaking to TDG, a senior official privy to the matter confirmed that while the Goa Police was initially interested to visit Thailand to bring back the Luthra brothers, that is not possible since their deportation process necessitates that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visits that country and takes custody of the brothers given that it is the CBI which is the nodal agency in such matters.
While India and Thailand have an extradition treaty in place since 2015 and several criminals have been handed over to India by the Thai authorities over the past decade, the deportation route is a faster route than the extradition process.
 “Their passports have been impounded by the Regional Passport Office, Delhi (under the MEA) which means that they cannot board a flight as normal flyers and would need an emergency travel certificate to travel back to India. That can only happen on Monday because the Thai authorities don’t work over the weekend. Since the Interpol issued blue corner notices against them at the request of the CBI, the Interpol will only hand over the Luthra brothers to the nodal agency, that is, the CBI in such cases. A CBI team will hence fly to Thailand to bring back the Luthra brothers and later hand them over to the Goa police,” said an official privy to the developments.

The Luthra brothers who were detained by the Thai authorities on Thursday and shifted to  Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre will be produced before the Thai immigration authorities before being handed over to the CBI team.
The Thai authorities detained them after they were rendered as ‘persona non grata’ after their passports were suspended by the Delhi RPO.
Saurabh Luthra and his elder brother Gaurav Luthra had fled India on an Indigo flight early morning on December 7 – a flight that they booked within two hours of the fire breaking out at their ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in Arpora. 
The brothers will remain at the immigration centre till the completion of the deportation process.
India and Thailand have, in the past, worked closely in matters pertaining to the deportation and extradition of persons wanted in India or those wanted for imposition of a sentence issued against them by an Indian court.

Also Read: Post-fire, Goa Wakes Up To Illegal Encroachment By Luthra Bros But Had Ignored Several Complaints Against Their Illegal Acts