Luthra brothers granted bail in Goa nightclub fire case, to remain jailed over forgery charges

Panaji: A sessions court in Goa granted conditional bail on Wednesday to Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, in connection with a catastrophic fire last December that resulted in 25 deaths.

Despite the court’s decision regarding the fire case, the brothers will remain in custody following their arrest on Monday on separate charges of forgery.

The legal saga began on Dec. 6, 2025, when a massive blaze tore through the establishment in Arpora village. Investigators allege the nightclub was operating without necessary permits and in flagrant violation of safety protocols. Following the disaster, the Luthra brothers fled to Thailand but were deported back to India on Dec. 17 and subsequently apprehended by Anjuna Police.

Bail and New Charges

Advocate Parag Rao, representing the defendants, confirmed that Additional Sessions Judge Dvijple Patkar approved the conditional bail. However, the relief was short-lived as the Mapusa Police took the duo into custody earlier this week for allegedly fabricating documents.

"The brothers were taken into custody by Mapusa Police on Monday in an alleged forgery case," officials stated. "Despite getting bail in the fire case, they would continue to remain in prison in the second case."

The secondary investigation centres on accusations that the brothers forged signatures and records to secure a "No Objection Certificate" (NOC) from the Health Department. This document was allegedly used to illicitly obtain the nightclub's excise license. Last week, the court denied their applications for anticipatory bail in the forgery matter, and they are currently serving a four-day period of police remand.

Culpable Homicide Charges

The Arpora fire remains one of the state’s deadliest commercial disasters, leading to a charge sheet for culpable homicide against 13 individuals. Among those named are the three primary owners: the Luthra brothers and Ajay Gupta.

Gupta was granted bail by a Mapusa court last month, making him the first of the primary owners to secure release in the fire case. While the Luthras have now cleared the hurdle for bail in the homicide case, their immediate future remains tied to the forgery investigation as police continue to probe the administrative irregularities that allowed the nightclub to function.

With inputs from PTI