Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji
Panaji, Aug 19: The Bombay High Court at Goa has cancelled the bail granted to brothers Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives, including five tourists, in December last year.
The court directed the two brothers to surrender before the authorities within two weeks. However, they have been given the liberty to approach the court with fresh bail applications after surrendering.
The Luthra brothers had earlier secured bail from a lower court in April. The Goa government subsequently challenged the bail order, citing the seriousness of the incident and allegations of document forgery linked to the operation of the establishment.
Goa Police have filed a 4,420-page chargesheet naming 13 accused in connection with the fire tragedy. The accused include Gaurav Luthra, 44, Saurabh Luthra, 40, Ajay Gupta, 55, and UK national Surinder Kumar Khosla, who is identified as the owner of the property.
The accused have been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and forgery-related offences. Investigators have also alleged that forged documents were used to obtain licences and approvals required to operate the establishment.
According to the chargesheet, the club managers informed the owners about the emergency and the growing number of casualties at around 11.45 pm on December 6.
Investigators allege that Saurabh Luthra used his wife's phone at around 1.13 am to contact a travel agent in Delhi and arrange international tickets. The brothers reportedly boarded a flight to Phuket at around 5.25 am while rescue and firefighting operations were still underway at the premises.
Police said Ajay Gupta remained in Goa until around 11.30 am on December 7 before leaving for Delhi. He allegedly admitted himself to a hospital in Lajpat Nagar after learning about the scale of the tragedy.
According to the police investigation, Gupta switched off his personal mobile phone to avoid being tracked and communicated through his driver's phone. He was eventually arrested on December 10.
The case has drawn renewed attention to safety standards, licensing procedures and regulatory compliance at entertainment establishments in Goa following the fatal fire.