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New Delhi: A devastating fire that ripped through a popular Goa nightclub on Saturday night, claiming the lives of 25 people, has taken a dramatic international turn. The owners of the club, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, reportedly fled India for Thailand mere hours after the tragic incident. Their escape has prompted authorities to initiate an international manhunt.
The fire at Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular nightlife spot, is widely believed to have been ignited by pyrotechnics used during a dance performance. The ensuing chaos and a lack of adequate safety measures are suspected to have contributed to the high casualty count. So far, at least five people have been arrested in connection with the tragedy.
A swift escape under the cover of darkness
According to the Goa police, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra boarded a flight from Mumbai to Phuket, Thailand, at 5:30 AM on Sunday morning, just a short time after an FIR (First Information Report) was officially registered against them. A police team dispatched to their Delhi residences found the brothers missing, subsequently pasting notices at their homes.
By Sunday afternoon, the Bureau of Immigration had issued a nationwide Lookout Circular (LOC) at the request of the Goa Police, effectively blocking their re-entry into India through official channels.
International pursuit: Interpol's "Blue Corner" on the horizon
With the Luthra brothers now beyond India's borders, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is expected to approach Interpol to issue a "Blue Corner Notice." Goa Police confirmed they are actively coordinating with the CBI's Interpol wing "to apprehend them at the earliest."
Understanding Interpol's global reach: What a Blue Corner Notice means
The potential issuance of a Blue Corner Notice signifies an escalated international effort to locate and monitor the movements of the Luthra brothers. This specific notice is deployed by Interpol to seek information about a person's identity, location, or activities in connection with a crime. It's primarily used when law enforcement agencies identify a suspect but require international assistance to track their movements across national boundaries.
Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organisation, serves as a critical global network facilitating police cooperation across 196 member countries. Founded in 1923 and headquartered in Lyon, France, Interpol's core function is to help nations fight crime by sharing information, coordinating investigations, and issuing various types of notices. It's important to note that Interpol does not have its own officers empowered to make arrests; rather, it acts as an information hub, issuing alerts that member countries can act upon based on their own laws and procedures.
A spectrum of international alerts: Interpol's notice system
Interpol issues eight distinct types of notices, each serving a unique purpose in global law enforcement:
Red Notice: The most well-known, issued to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person with a valid national arrest warrant for the purpose of extradition.
Yellow Notice: Used to help locate missing persons, often minors, or to identify individuals who are unable to identify themselves.
Black Notice: Circulated to gather information on unidentified bodies.
Green Notice: Serves as a warning to other countries about individuals considered a potential threat to public safety, typically due to their criminal history.
Orange Notice: Alerts countries to an event, an object, or a process that poses an immediate and serious threat to public safety, such as potential explosives or disguised weapons.
Purple Notice: Used to seek or provide information on criminal methods, modus operandi, tools, or concealed weapons employed by criminals.
UN Special Notice: Issued specifically for individuals or entities that are subject to sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council.
