CBI requests INTERPOL Blue Notice against the Luthra brothers [Photo: X]
Indian agencies have stepped up their international chase for Delhi businessmen Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who fled to Phuket soon after the Goa nightclub fire that killed 25 people.
The CBI is now pushing Interpol to issue Blue Notices to track the brothers’ movements in Thailand and prevent them from escaping to another country. Investigators say they have activated global coordination channels and opened an urgent probe to bring the duo back to face questioning.
INTERPOL uses a colour‑coded system for international alerts. A Blue Notice allows law enforcement agencies worldwide to gather information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in connection with a criminal investigation. Importantly, a Blue Notice is not an arrest warrant. Instead, it serves as a tool to track a suspect’s movements globally and share intelligence among member countries.
Here’s how it compares to other notices:
In the present case, authorities chose the Blue Notice to gather more information about the Luthras’ whereabouts and movements after they left the country.
Early on December 7, a fire broke out at the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in Goa, claiming 25 lives. Hours after the blaze, the club’s owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, reportedly fled India on an early-morning flight to Phuket, Thailand.
When bid to trace them, authorities discovered that the brothers had already crossed borders. Faced with the urgent need for international cooperation, the Goa Police approached the CBI, which in turn sought a Blue Notice from INTERPOL to help locate the siblings abroad.
Officials say they opted for a Blue Notice because the investigation is ongoing, and no formal charge sheet or non-bailable warrant has yet been issued. In contrast, a Red Notice requires a valid arrest warrant or pending prosecution. Once the court completes its process and issues a warrant, authorities may move to request a Red Notice for actual arrest and extradition.
Meanwhile, the CBI’s Global Operations Centre and other central agencies are coordinating closely with international law enforcement agencies to trace the brothers and prevent them from fleeing further.
India and Thailand share an active extradition treaty (since 2015), and investigators point out that collaboration between these nations on criminal matters has been effective in past cases.
At present, authorities are working on securing an arrest warrant from a court in Goa. Once issued, this warrant will be shared with Thai authorities via the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs). This will enable swift action if the Luthras are located in Thailand.
The use of a Blue Notice in this case highlights a broader challenge: when suspects flee abroad immediately after a crime, cross‑border cooperation becomes crucial. The alert system offered by INTERPOL allows countries to:
In recent years, the CBI’s Global Operations Centre has successfully tracked more than 200 fugitives abroad and repatriated 136 through extradition or deportation. Officials say the same process will apply to the Luthra case if the alert gains traction.
For the public and future victims’ families, this move signals that jurisdictional boundaries won’t shield criminals from accountability. For law enforcement, it underscores the importance of swift action, international coordination and modern policing tools such as INTERPOL notices.
The Luthra brothers may have crossed borders, but with INTERPOL’s global alert system activated, authorities say they have a real shot at bringing them back to face justice.
