Goa Nightclub Fire: Luthra Brothers To Walk Out Of Jail As Court Grants Bail In NOC Forgery Case

Mapusa (Goa): A court in Goa has granted bail to brothers Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra in connection with the nightclub licence case tied to the deadly December 2025 fire that left 25 people dead.

The Luthra brothers are co-owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, where the tragedy took place on December 6, 2025.

The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Mapusa allowed their release on bail on a bond of Rs 50,000 each and subject to conditions, observing that the investigation can continue even while the accused remain out of custody.

The Luthra brothers have been accused of allegedly using a fake No Objection Certificate (NOC) to secure a licence for the nightclub, where one of Goa’s deadliest nightlife tragedies occurred.

According to court observations, custodial interrogation was not deemed necessary at this stage, paving the way for bail with conditions aimed at ensuring cooperation with the ongoing probe.

On April 1, the Court of the Additional Sessions Judge at Merces, Goa, had granted regular bail to the two brothers in connection with the fire incident. However, they were not released from jail then, as the Mapusa Police took their custody in connection with the alleged forgery of an NOC.

The fire incident had sparked outrage and raised serious questions about safety compliance, licensing processes, and alleged lapses by authorities. Investigators are continuing to examine the chain of approvals and documents submitted for operational clearances.

Earlier, on December 16 last year, the Luthra brothers were brought from Delhi to Goa after being deported from Thailand.

The government initiated criminal proceedings against the club owners over alleged negligence and violation of mandatory safety norms after a fire at the Arpora nightclub on December 6.

The Luthra brothers, despite knowing that the restaurant lacks emergency exit doors on the ground or deck floors for evacuation in an emergency, organised the fire show, police said.

The Goa Police had filed a criminal case dated December 7 at the Police Station Arpora Anjuna, North Goa, under sections 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b), and 287, read with 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023.

Earlier in January, the Goa government had dismissed Arpora Village Panchayat Sarpanch, Roshan Redkar, and Panchayat Secretary of Arpora-Nagoa Village Panchayat, Raghuvir Bagkar, from service, finding "persistent negligence" in the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' fire case.

Directorate of Panchayats, based on the Magisterial Inquiry Committee Report on the nightclub mishap, noted that the Sarpanch, "presided over meetings where the irregularities of the subject premises were either ignored or tacitly approved."

The report said that the Birch establishment was initially operated in a temporary shed and was converted into a nightclub "without any conversion sanad or approved building plans."

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