Goa nightclub fire: Court denies bail to Luthra brothers in forgery case

A court in Goa has rejected bail pleas of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of fire-ravaged Romeo Lane nightclub, in a case involving alleged forgery of documents to obtain consumption licences.

The additional sessions court in Mapusa rejected the petition filed by the brothers on Friday, March 27, 2026, said their lawyer Parag Rao.

Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora village, owned by Luthras, broke out in a fire on December 6, 2025, killing 25 people and injuring 50 people.

The brothers fled to Thailand after the fire and were deported from that country on December 17, and are currently in Colvale central prison in North Goa.

While Anjuna police were investigating the duo in connection with the fire, Mapusa police registered a case of forgery and accused them of submitting fake documents to get a license from the tax office for the nightclub.

Speaking to reporters, lawyer Rao said that the judge announced that both bail requests were rejected.

“We have not received the detailed decision yet. We will have to review the decision. We did not expect it to be rejected,” he said.

He also pointed out that Ajay Gupta, another owner of the ill-fated nightclub, had been granted bail by the court in connection with the fire and the same forgery case.

Rao said the brothers claimed that the police had the allegedly forged documents, so the authorities did not seek their custody in the case.

He said that his clients did not apply for the allegedly fake documents.

The medical officer of Candolim Health Center (North Goa) had filed a case against the Luthras, alleging that they forged his signature to create a fake No Objection Certificate (NOC) and submitted it to the excise department for obtaining a nightclub licence.