The owners of the Goa nightclub "Birch by Romeo Lane," where a fire claimed 25 lives, saw their attempts to avoid immediate arrest thwarted as a Delhi court rejected their transit anticipatory bail pleas. Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who fled to Thailand shortly after the December 6th tragedy, face serious charges, including injury causing death, manslaughter and murder, due to alleged safety violations at the popular nightclub.

The Luthra brothers' escape began in the early hours of December 7th, while emergency teams were still battling the blaze at their Goa nightclub. Using the MakeMyTrip platform, they booked tickets at 1:17 am on IndiGo flight 6E 1073 to Phuket, which departed from Delhi at 5:30 am.

Facing mounting pressure, the Goa Police suspended the Luthra brothers' passports and requested the Ministry of External Affairs to revoke them. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice was also issued against them. These actions were taken amid public outrage over the fire, which was reportedly caused by electric firecrackers used during a musical performance and a number of safety hazards and compliance violations.

Seeking to avoid immediate arrest upon their return to India, the Luthra brothers applied for four weeks of transit anticipatory bail. However, on December 11th, Additional Sessions Judge Vandana dismissed their pleas. The Goa government's lawyer argued against the bail, stating, "They left, they concealed, and they are now seeking leniency," emphasizing that they fled immediately after the fire and were evading the legal process. The court was also told that the brothers are accused of organizing a fire show at the nightclub “without taking proper care and caution and without providing fire safety equipment, other safety gadgets”.

Despite their lawyer's argument that they were willing to return and cooperate with the investigation, the court sided with the prosecution. The judge determined that individuals attempting to evade the legal process should not receive assistance from the court and that the gravity of the offences and the conduct of the applicants did not entitle them to protection.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has stated that the Luthra brothers have been detained in Thailand and will be brought back to India "as soon as possible" to face legal action. Meanwhile, in Goa, a court has remanded Ajay Gupta, another owner of the nightclub, to police custody for seven days. Gupta claims to be a sleeping partner with no involvement in the club's daily operations. The Goa police have also arrested five managers and staff members of the nightclub. The Arpora panchayat secretary has been suspended for not cooperating with the investigation and may also be arrested.

In the wake of the fire, the Goa government has initiated a crackdown on illegalities at nightclubs and other tourist establishments. They have also banned fireworks at nightclubs, hotels, and other tourist establishments in North Goa.