Following the tragic fire at the "Birch by Romeo Lane" nightclub in Arpora, Goa, which claimed the lives of 25 people, a team of Indian officials has flown to Thailand to expedite the return of the club's owners, brothers Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra. The brothers fled to Phuket, Thailand, hours after the blaze on December 7th, prompting a massive manhunt.

The co-owners were detained in Phuket at the request of the Indian government, after an Interpol Blue Corner Notice was issued against them. The process of deporting them back to India has commenced.

Indian authorities are working closely with their Thai counterparts to ensure the swift deportation of the Luthra brothers, rather than going through the more complex extradition process. Given the strong relationship between Indian and Thai agencies in criminal matters, officials are optimistic about a prompt resolution. India and Thailand have a formal extradition treaty in place since 2013, which came into force on June 29, 2015.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is involved in the process, and the arrest warrant issued against the Luthra brothers will be sent through the ministry. The government has also revoked the passports of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra. This move is intended to prevent them from traveling onward from Phuket and to strengthen India's chances of securing their deportation through diplomatic channels with Interpol's assistance.

In addition to the efforts to bring back the Luthra brothers, investigations are underway to determine if they or their family members have transferred funds abroad, including to Thailand, and whether they have any existing investments there.

Meanwhile, in India, key operational staff members of the nightclub are being apprehended. Bharat Kohli, a member of the management, was arrested in Delhi after a transit remand was obtained. The club’s Chief General Manager Rajiv Modak, General Manager Vivek Singh, Bar Manager Rajiv Singhania, and Gate Manager Riyanshu Thakur have also been arrested.

The Luthra brothers, however, have sought legal protection, expressing fear of immediate arrest upon their return to India. Their lawyer stated that Saurabh Luthra had traveled to Thailand on December 6 for professional engagements, and the brothers are seeking legal protection to return to India without immediate arrest. The court has scheduled their anticipatory bail plea for Thursday.

The Goa Police are opposing the brothers' request, arguing that they fled the country shortly after the incident and should not be granted protection while abroad. The police investigation indicates that the Luthra brothers booked their tickets to Thailand at 1:17 AM on December 7, while emergency teams were still responding to the fire. They then boarded an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Phuket at 5:30 AM.