Luthra brothers get bail in Goa nightclub fire case, but remain jailed on forgery charges

The Goa district court on Wednesday granted bail to Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, the nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora village where a devastating fire killed 25 people last December. The bail comes five days after the district and sessions court in Goa denied anticipatory bail in a second case that accuses the brothers of submitting forged documents to obtain licences needed to run the club. The court granted conditional bail on a bond of ₹50,000 and a like-sum surety, with other standard conditions; however, the Luthras will continue to be imprisoned in the forgery case related to alleged fake documents for licences. The prosecution pressed that the two were instrumental in the club’s operations, while the defence argued the bail conditions are reasonable and follow routine practice. The fire, which occurred on the intervening night of December 6 and 7, is believed to have been sparked by electrically triggered pyrotechnics used during a dance sequence, with the bamboo-and-natural-material roof catching fire rapidly. The tragedy prompted a broader inquiry into safety compliance and licensing at Birch by Romeo Lane. After the incident, the Luthras had flown to Thailand; they were repatriated to India after an Interpol notice, and their passports were suspended during investigations. Goa police have since arrested five managers of the club and a business partner, Ajay Gupta, in separate actions, as authorities continue to probe lapses in permissions and safety standards. Advocate Parag Rao, who represented the Luthras, said the bail was conditional and that the judgment copy would clarify the exact grounds on which it was granted. The case has kept Goa’s legal and public safety conversations in focus as investigators seek to determine accountability and prevent a recurrence of such tragedies.

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