Goa nightclub fire: Bombay High Court cancels bail of owners

The Bombay High Court at Goa on Tuesday cancelled the bail granted to Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra and Ajay Gupta, the three co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, which was gutted by a fire in December 2025 killing 25 people [State of Goa v. Saurabh Luthra and connected].Justice Neela Gokhale allowed an appeal filed by the State of Goa challenging the bail granted by additional sessions court at Mapusa in North Goa. .“The analysis demonstrates that the case at hand requires deeper scrutiny beyond the conventional principles governing the subject. The order granting bail to the Respondent indicates an improper exercise of discretion by the Sessions Court,” the judge concluded.The High Court highlighted that the lower court completely overlooked how the Luthra brothers fled to Phuket, Thailand, immediately after the fire and remaining untraceable till they were deported back to India. "Surprisingly, the Sessions Court has not even directed periodic attendance before the Investigating Officer; nor has it directed the accused to seek the trial Court’s permission to travel within India," the judge remarked. .The judge directed all three accused to surrender before the authorities within two weeks. The Court also granted them liberty to file fresh bail applications before the sessions court. .While setting aside the bail orders, Justice Gokhale held that the lower court glossed over the enormity of the crime and failed to evaluate the material collected during investigation. “The accused intentionally ignored safety standards while managing the restaurant and allowed cold-pyro fireworks, fully aware of the flammable materials used in the roof. The record clearly suggests the accused had the intent, with each partner denying individual responsibility and engaging in a blame game,” the order states. “Viewing the offence as 'not that heinous' reflects an oversimplified understanding by the Sessions Court,” the court added..The court observed that opening an unlicensed club without fire clearances or adequate exits created a manifestly hazardous environment, exposing both patrons and staff to a foreseeable risk of fire and loss of life."The restaurant was operating without licences. The accused could not procure licences because the structure itself was unauthorised. Had they procured valid licences to operate the restaurant, the accused would have been bound to install safety measures and adhere to regulations. This deliberate omission led to the incident, which cost 25 people their lives and left many more injured," said Justice Gokhale..The case relates to the fire that broke out on the night of December 6, 2025 at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora. The fire led to the death of 25 people. Police investigations revealed that the club operated without valid safety clearances or adequate firefighting equipment. The blaze was reportedly sparked by an indoor fire show conducted without necessary precautions. The police have also claimed that the restaurant was functioning without a valid trade license. The Luthra brothers fled to Thailand hours after the blaze before they were later deported and arrested by Goa Police.They were booked along with other partners, the club’s manager, event organisers and staff under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for offences including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, acts endangering life and negligent conduct with respect to fire, read with common intention.The police are also separately probing allegations that the owners forged documents to illegally procure operating licenses for the establishment..Additional public prosecutor Swati Kamat Wagh appeared for the State.Senior advocate SS Kantak with advcoates Abhinav Chandrachud, Parag Rao, Vaibhav Suri, S Khan, J Jain, Neha Kholkar and Dhanashree Korgaonkar appeared for Luthra brothers. Senior advocate Madhav Khurana with advocates Rohan Dessai, Malak Bhatt, Ashwini Bandekar, Amit Badesra, Nishikant Raut Dessai, Ashay Priolkar and Arya Parrikar appeared for Gupta..[Read order]