Birch Tragedy: Luthra Brothers Get Conditional Bail In Goa Night Club Mishap That Killed 25

New Delhi: In a major update in Goa nightclub inferno, the owners of the Arpora nightclub 'Birch by Romeo Lane,' Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, have been granted bail by a local Goa court on Wednesday (April 1). 

The Birch by Romeo Lane fire stands as one of the most devastating tragedies in Goa’s hospitality history as at least 25 people lost their lives following the deadly blaze on December 6 last year.

The Luthra brothers reportedly did not have a certificate in their own names and submitted forged documents to obtain a licence for the club’s registration.

Notably, the brothers had fled to Thailand after the deadly tragedy struck their nightclub in Goa’s Arpora but Thai authorities deported them to India on December 16.

Anticipatory bail rejected

This legal relief follows the recent rejection of their anticipatory bail application in a secondary case concerning forgery and fraud. The Luthra brothers and several associates are accused of falsifying a Health Office "No Objection Certificate" (NOC) to illicitly obtain excise licenses and the various regulatory permits necessary to run the nightclub.

In a further legal setback, authorities have filed a second FIR against the accused, alleging that they secured the establishment's operational permits through the use of falsified documents.

Mapusa police in Goa takes custody 

The Mapusa police on Monday took custody of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra to investigate allegations of document forgery used to secure an excise license.

The brothers, who are already serving time in North Goa’s Colvale Central Jail for the December 6 nightclub fire, were handed over after a Mapusa sessions court denied their anticipatory bail plea on March 27.

While the Anjuna police continue to lead the investigation into the fatal fire, the Mapusa division is specifically handling the separate criminal case regarding the fraudulent paperwork submitted to the excise department.

42 shell companies from one address

Earlier, the owners of Birch by Rome Lane were also found running 42 shell companies under the guise of their restaurant empire, stated reports.

The authorities uncovered a vast financial fraud allegedly as owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra reportedly were directors in all the companies, which were all registered at a single address in north-west Delhi and all companies had opened in last two years, reports say. 

What was the Goa Tragedy?

On December 6 last year, a massive blaze tore through the popular nightclub located in Arpora, North Goa, resulting in the deaths of 25 people. The incident sent shockwaves through the coastal state, highlighting severe lapses in fire safety and regulatory compliance within the nightlife industry.

Following the disaster, the establishment's owners, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, were arrested and remanded to the Colvale Central Jail. The investigation, led by the Anjuna police, initially focused on culpable homicide and negligence. However, as the probe deepened, a secondary, systemic scandal emerged involving the legality of the club’s operations.

Authorities discovered that the venue might have been operating under fraudulent pretenses. This led to a second First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Mapusa police. 

Essentially, the state alleges that the nightclub was built on a foundation of "forgery and cheating," bypassing critical safety checks that might have prevented the fire.