New Delhi: A local court at Mapusa in Goa on Wednesday granted bail to Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, in a case linked to a fire at the establishment on December 6 that killed 25 people in North Goa’s Arpora.
However, the Luthra brothers would remain behind bars as they were arrested in a forgery case on Monday.
Last month, the Goa Police had filed a chargesheet against 13 accused, including the Luthras, in connection with the fire.
Hours after a blaze erupted at the club in Arpora village, the brothers booked a flight and fled to Phuket, Thailand on December 7. They were later deported to India on December 17 and arrested by Anjuna Police.
There were allegations that the nightclub did not have the requisite permissions and breached a number of safety rules. The Luthra brothers and the club’s partners, manager, event organiser and other managing staff were booked under charges of culpable homicide in the first FIR, lodged on December 7.
What did the FIR say
As per the FIR, the restaurant was functioning without acquiring the requisite licences. It also said that the accused persons organised a fire show at their restaurant/club “without taking proper care and caution, without providing fire safety equipment and other safety gadgets”. It also said that they did so “in spite of having full knowledge that organising such a show may lead to serious fire accidents”.
On Wednesday, advocate Parag Rao, their lawyer, said additional sessions judge Dvijple Patkar granted conditional bail to the Luthra brothers in the fire case.
What’s the forgery case against them
Earlier last week, a Goa court had turned down the brothers’ anticipatory bail plea in a case of alleged forgery and cheating. Both are accused of forging a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Health Office. It was used to get an Excise License and other licences to operate the club. After the court’s order, Mapusa police took the brothers into custody on Monday.
Therefore, even though they have got bail in the fire case, they would remain in jail in the second case which involves forgery. The court on Monday remanded them in the custody of Mapusa Police for four days.