Two brothers wanted in connection with a deadly fire at their nightclub in the Indian state of Goa, in which 25 people died, have been arrested in Thailand, Indian ambassador to Thailand Nagesh Singh told the BBC.
Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of the Birch By Romeo Lane club, fled to Phuket shortly after last week’s incident.
“They will be returned [to India]”Singh said on Thursday, a day after a Delhi court refused to grant them protection from arrest and the Goa government approached India’s foreign ministry to revoke their passports.
The brothers have not made any public statements, but their lawyer told the court they were victims of a “witch hunt.”
The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday, when a deadly fire broke out at the club, located in a busy nightlife area of the popular tourist state.
Investigators believe the fire was caused by fireworks that were set off inside the location.
Most of the victims were staff members, while four were tourists visiting Delhi.
Investigators say they raided the brothers’ Delhi home hours after the fire, but discovered they had fled the country. Police then sought help from Interpol to track them down.
Saurabh Luthra, whose social media identifies him as the president of the company that operates the club, posted a statement on social media Monday expressing “deep pain.”
“The management stands in unwavering solidarity with the families of the deceased and with the injured,” he wrote, adding that the management of the nightclub will provide “assistance, support and cooperation to the bereaved.”
On Wednesday, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said police had so far detained six people in connection with the incident, adding that “more arrests will be made soon.”
Goa is a former Portuguese colony on the Arabian Sea. Its nightlife, sandy beaches and resorts attract millions of tourists every year.
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