Late Wednesday, December 10, the government cancelled the passports of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, who are the owners of a nightclub in Goa where a fire resulted in the death of 25 people last week.
Passports of Luthra Brothers suspended
The action prevents the Delhi-based brothers who fled to Thailand hours following the fire that claimed 25 lives last week, from proceeding onwards with the Phuket and, according to the authorities, increases the likelihood of deporting them through diplomatic means with the assistance of Interpol.
It was reported earlier this access by the Goa government to the External Affairs Ministry to withdraw the passports of the Luthras. On Tuesday, Interpol sent a Blue Corner Notice on the brothers and they are said to be in hiding in Phuket.
At 1:17 am on December 7, less than an hour after word of the fire in their club, Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, started to circulate, investigators say that the brothers made their purchase tickets to Thailand.
At the time of booking, the police and emergency teams were still fighting the fire.
What did Luthra Brothers’ lawyers say?
Luthras insist in court though that the travel had been planned before. Their attorney informed the Rohini court in Delhi that Saurabh went to Thailand on December 6 to do some business and restaurant locations.
He cited that the brothers were looking to have legal protection to go back to India without immediate arrest.
On Wednesday, the court denied them urgent relief and scheduled their plea to have their anticipatory bail on Thursday. Goa Police was against the request on the grounds that the brothers had fled hours after the incident and they should not be given an opportunity to seek protection in a foreign country.
The brothers, who were represented by senior advocates Sidharth Luthra and Tanvir Ahmed Mir, alleged that they were afraid of being arrested immediately they landed.
What happens when an Indian passport is revoked?
The effects of revocation of an Indian passport are far greater than just loss of a travelling document; it is a conclusive act of law which changes the mobility, rights of a citizen and in most cases his future in the short term.
Revocation is not done in high regard. The government has the right to cancel a passport under the Passport Act of 1967, due to a number of reasons, which include but are not limited to the provision of false information, having committed a crime, national security issues or restrictions directed by the court. And when the word is uttered the domino effect is immediate and extensive.
Whenever a passport is suspended, the individual is denied the legal right to travel abroad. Airline, embassies, and immigration systems around the globe are digitally verified; therefore, an invalidated passport is flagged instantly.
Can you also be jailed?
Any effort to board an aircraft on such a document may result in rejection of boarding, imprisonment in a foreign airports, or deportation to India. Life is complicated even within the country. Suspended passport cancels continuing visa applications, international work permits, student admissions, and residence permits overseas.
The situation is even more perilous to the Indians residing in foreign countries. Without proper passport, they are likely to over-stay, something that will expose them to punishment by the host nation.
They are in most cases forced to visit the nearest Indian mission and inform them of their situations and request to be given temporary travel documents to go back home.
There is also an implication of reputational weight in revocation. It is an indication that the government is incredibly worried about the behaviour or qualifications of the individual. To those under legal prosecution, it may limit them from avoiding trial or manipulating investigations.
Passport revocation in effect is not merely an administrative measure but it is a drastic violation of individual freedom. It highlights a fact of contemporary citizenship that the passport is not just a piece of paper but a license granted by the state to the right to the world and its revocation is one of the most powerful sanctions that a government can choose.
