The Sessions Court in Mapusa provided interim protection from arrest until Tuesday to Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of the ill-fated nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, Goa. The brothers are under investigation for allegedly using a forged No Objection Certificate from a health officer to obtain an excise licence for their establishment, where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives on December 6.
Court Proceedings and Anticipatory Bail Plea
On Friday, the Luthra brothers moved an application for anticipatory bail, fearing arrest in the case registered at Mapusa police station. Their counsel, A V Pavithran, confirmed that the court granted them interim relief, shielding them from arrest until the next hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
In their bail application, the applicants stated they had a "bona fide apprehension of arrest" following the arrest of their partner, Ajay Gupta, on December 23. They argued that the First Information Report (FIR) does not disclose any prima facie case against them. The application contended that Gupta's arrest was mala fide and based solely on his partnership in Being GS Hospitality Arpora Goa LLP, the entity that runs the nightclub.
Allegations of Forgery and Impersonation
The case stems from an FIR filed by Dr. Roshan Nazareth, the Health Officer at Candolim Primary Health Centre (PHC). Dr. Nazareth alleged that before December 13, 2025, authorised persons from Birch nightclub impersonated him and forged his signature. They allegedly made a fraudulent entry in the official register to create a forged health NOC.
"This was done by the accused persons intentionally, and they prepared a no objection certificate issued by me in order to seek an excise licence," Dr. Nazareth stated in the FIR. Mapusa police added that the accused then "fraudulently and knowingly" submitted this fake NOC to the excise department as a genuine document, thereby cheating the authorities and successfully obtaining the liquor licence.
Ongoing Investigations and Separate Fire Case
In a related development, Mapusa police on Monday obtained a transfer warrant from the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court to take custody of Ajay Gupta, who was earlier remanded to judicial custody. The police arrested Gupta on December 23 in connection with the NOC forgery case.
Meanwhile, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra are already in police custody in a separate but connected case. The JMFC court in Mapusa has remanded them to four days of police custody concerning the tragic fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane, which is being investigated by Anjuna police station.
The fire broke out at the nightclub around 11:45 PM on December 6, when over 150 tourists were present. A preliminary joint investigation by the police and the Directorate of Fire Services suggested the blaze started after electric firecrackers struck the wooden ceiling during an event.
