A court of the Additional Sessions Judge in Merces, Goa, has granted regular bail to Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra in connection with the alleged nightclub fire incident. The brothers co-own Birch by Romeo Lane, where a devastating fire on December 6 last year, claimed 25 lives and left several injured.
The accused were represented by senior legal counsel during the proceedings. However, despite securing bail, they will remain in custody as Mapusa Police have taken them into fresh custody over an alleged forged no-objection certificate (NOC) linked to the nightclub.
Earlier, another co-owner, Ajay Gupta, was also granted bail by a Mapusa court. He had been arrested in New Delhi months after the incident.
Investigators allege that the club owners ignored mandatory safety norms and continued operations despite lacking proper emergency exits. Police claim the Luthra brothers went ahead with organising a fire show despite being aware of these shortcomings.
Following the tragedy, Goa Police registered a criminal case under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The accused were earlier brought to Goa from Delhi after being deported from Thailand.
Separately, action was also taken against local authorities. The Goa government dismissed Arpora village officials, including Roshan Redkar and Raghuvir Bagkar, citing negligence. An inquiry report found that the nightclub operated without proper approvals and was converted from a temporary structure without sanctioned plans.
