Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers granted bail in forgery case

A court in Goa on Wednesday granted bail to Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the fire-hit Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, in a forgery case, paving the way for their release from jail.

Advocate Parag Rao, appearing for the accused, said Judicial Magistrate First Class Jude Sequeira at Mapusa granted regular bail in the case.

With this order, the brothers are set to be released, having earlier secured bail in a separate case linked to the December 2025 fire at the nightclub that left 25 people dead.

Bail conditions and allegations

Rao said the court has directed the accused to report to the Mapusa police station for the next five days. The defence is awaiting the detailed order.

The case relates to allegations that the Luthra brothers used forged documents, including a fake no-objection certificate (NOC), to obtain permissions and an excise licence for operating the nightclub at Arpora in North Goa.

According to police, the alleged forged NOC was used to secure regulatory clearances. The forgery case was registered following a complaint by a health officer of the Candolim Primary Health Centre, who alleged that his signature had been forged and a fabricated entry made in official records.

Fire case and arrest

A sessions court at Mapusa had on 1 April granted bail to the brothers in the case related to the nightclub fire.

The blaze broke out on 6 December 2025 at Birch by Romeo Lane, resulting in 25 deaths. Hours after the incident, the accused left India for Thailand and were later deported on 17 December, following which they were arrested by Anjuna police.

The incident triggered an extensive investigation into alleged fire safety violations, licensing irregularities and operational lapses at the nightclub.

Authorities are examining compliance with safety norms and the process through which permissions were granted, while proceedings in both the fire and forgery cases are ongoing.