Mapusa (Goa): A Mapusa sessions court on Friday, March 27, 2026, rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the now-defunct Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub. The brothers, who are currently being held at Colvale Central Jail, sought protection from arrest in a separate case involving the alleged forgery of a Health Department No Objection Certificate (NOC) used to secure an excise licence for their establishment. The judge dismissed the applications following a complaint by the health officer of the Candolim Health Centre, who alleged that his signature was forged and fake entries were made in official registers to facilitate the club’s operations.
The forgery case is the second major legal hurdle for the Luthras following the catastrophic fire at their Arpora-based nightclub on December 6, 2025, which resulted in 25 deaths and 50 injuries. Most of the victims were staff members trapped in the building’s basement. In the wake of the tragedy, the brothers had fled to Thailand but were deported back to India on December 17. While their co-owner, Ajay Gupta, was granted bail in both the fire and forgery cases earlier this week due to a lack of evidence in the initial chargesheet, the court maintained a stricter stance toward the Luthra brothers, who are also facing charges of culpable homicide.
The Luthras’ legal team, led by advocate Parag Rao, argued that custodial interrogation was unnecessary as the allegedly forged documents were already in police possession. However, the prosecution emphasized the “gross criminal negligence” and “utter disregard for human life” highlighted in the police chargesheet, which claimed the club operated without valid fire safety equipment or proper exit doors. While the anticipatory bail for the forgery case was denied yesterday, the court has reserved its order on the brothers’ regular bail application in the primary fire case for April 1.
