New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court order cancelling bail granted to the owners of a Goa nightclub where a fire claimed 25 lives in 2025.
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu upheld the August 18 order of the high court and dismissed multiple petitions filed by Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra and Ajay Gupta, the co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora area, where a massive fire on December 6 last year left 25 people dead and over 50 injured. A Delhi court on December 16, 2025 granted a two-day transit remand to Goa police after they brought to India. The high court had on August 18 set aside the bail of the trio, saying the trial court failed to properly consider the material collected during the probe, and erred in observing that the offence was not as heinous as murder or dacoity.
The high court had also said that the material on record indicated the restaurant was operating without licences and its structure was unauthorised, and also that the accused and his partners allegedly knew about the risks of conducting fire displays inside the facility without adequate safety measures.
Supreme Court Orders Surrender in Goa Case
The Supreme Court has instructed three individuals involved in a significant legal case to surrender within two weeks. The court has also directed the lower court to expedite the trial process, particularly concerning the framing of charges.
In court proceedings, senior counsel revealed that the death toll related to the case stands at 25. However, he pointed out two critical errors in the high court’s judgment that he believes could impact the outcome.
Representatives for the state of Goa, including Additional Solicitor General SV Raju and standing counsel Surjendu Sankar Das, opposed the petitions filed by the trio. They emphasized that the high court has mandated their surrender within the specified time frame.
