What is Section 10A of Passport Act? And what are Interpol's Red, Blue and Yellow notices that led to Luthras’ arrest?

Dubai: When Delhi restaurateurs Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled to Thailand just hours after a fire at their Goa nightclub killed 25 people, many wondered how the owners managed to slip out so easily.

But the real turning point came later — when the Indian government deployed a powerful legal tool to trap them abroad.

The Centre invoked Section 10A of the Passport Act, 1967, using it alongside an Interpol alert to corner the brothers in Thailand and set the stage for their return to face trial.

Section 10A is a special provision that gives the government the power to suspend a person’s passport immediately if they are under investigation or pose a potential risk.

The government can suspend a passport even before a chargesheet or arrest warrant exists.

The suspension is instant, regardless of whether the person is in India or overseas.

Once suspended, the passport becomes invalid, turning the holder into an illegal foreigner in the country they’re currently in.

That country then has the authority to detain, restrict movement, or deport the individual at India’s request.

The Luthras flew to Phuket before any police case was filed.

When their passports were suspended under Section 10A, they immediately lost legal status in Thailand — giving local authorities the power to detain them.

An Indian team is now in Thailand to bring them back for trial.

To reinforce the passport suspension, the CBI also issued an Interpol Blue Corner Notice.

A Blue Notice is used to track, identify and gather information on people who are under investigation.

Alerts all 196 Interpol member nations to locate and identify the person

Shares travel records, hotel logs, immigration entries, and movement details

Helps countries coordinate monitoring and intelligence

Does not order an arrest, but it creates the trail needed to enable one

The moment the Blue Notice was issued, Thailand was formally alerted.

Paired with their suspended passports, this enabled Thai police to detain the brothers quickly.

Here’s how the three commonly used Interpol notices differ:

For individuals wanted for serious crimes with an active arrest warrant

Used to request the detention or provisional arrest of a fugitive so extradition can begin

Most serious notice; often treated like an international arrest request (though technically it isn’t)

For individuals under investigation

Used to collect information, verify identity, and track movement

Does not require an arrest, but helps countries know where the person is

Issued to locate missing adults or children

Also used to identify people unable to confirm their identity

Helps reunite individuals with families or home countries

This case didn’t rely on extradition or a Red Notice. Instead:

Section 10A turned the Luthras into illegal foreigners in Thailand

Blue Notice ensured international tracking and information flow

Together, they created a fast, clean pathway for detention and deportation without a long diplomatic process

A rare combination — and unusually swift.