Goa Court denies bail to Luthra brothers in nightclub Forgery case

A court in Mapusa, North Goa , has rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra , owners of the fire-hit Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub , in connection with an alleged forgery case linked to the procurement of an excise licence.

The additional sessions court delivered its order on Friday, declining relief to the brothers, their counsel Parag Rao confirmed. The detailed order is awaited .

The case stems from a devastating fire that broke out at the nightclub in Arpora village on December 6, 2025 , claiming 25 lives and leaving around 50 others injured . Following the incident, the Luthra brothers reportedly fled to Thailand but were deported to India on December 17 . They are currently lodged in Colvale Central Jail in North Goa.

While the Anjuna police have been probing the duo over alleged negligence linked to the fire, a separate case was registered by Mapusa police accusing them of submitting forged documents to secure an excise licence for the establishment.

According to a complaint filed by a health officer from Candolim Health Centre , the accused allegedly forged his signature to create a fake No Objection Certificate (NOC) and submitted it to the excise department to obtain clearance for the nightclub.

Opposing custodial interrogation, the defence argued that the allegedly forged documents are already in police possession and claimed the brothers were not directly involved in procuring them.

Notably, the Luthra brothers have reportedly secured bail in a separate case related to the fire incident . However, the court’s refusal to grant anticipatory bail in the forgery case indicates that legal proceedings against them remain active on multiple fronts.

Advocate Rao said the defence would study the detailed order before deciding on further legal steps. With multiple cases ongoing, the question remains: how will the Luthras’ legal journey unfold in the coming months?