The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India’s nodal agency for Interpol communication, is “vehemently pursuing” the issuance of Blue Notices against Delhi-based brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of the Goa nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, who fled to Phuket, Thailand, hours after a fire killed 25 people.
The immediate goal for the CBI is to secure the Blue Notices from the Lyon-headquartered Interpol to prevent the brothers from “fle[eing] to some other country” while investigators work to formalize their extradition.
Why a Blue Notice is Critical Now
The Luthra brothers are facing an FIR for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other safety violations in connection with the deadly fire.
- Definition: A Blue Notice is an international alert issued by Interpol to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in connection with a criminal investigation.
- Purpose: It is not a request for arrest but serves as a crucial tool to track a suspect globally and establish their whereabouts, which is critical when suspects flee immediately after an incident.
- Distinction: This differs from a Red Notice, which is an actual request to locate and arrest a person for prosecution or to serve a sentence.
Path to Extradition
Officials are confident about bringing the Luthras back due to the strong cooperation between India and Thailand, which have a formal extradition treaty in place since 2015.
The process underway includes:
- Securing the Interpol Blue Notice for tracking.
- Working to secure an arrest warrant from a Goa court.
- Sharing the warrant with Thai authorities via the Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate extradition or deportation.
The CBI’s Global Operations Centre has a history of successful international fugitive operations, having located over 200 fugitives abroad and secured the return of 136 through extradition or deportation in recent years.