PANAJI: The Mapusa Additional Sessions Court today denied bail to Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, where 25 people lost their lives in a fire on December 6. The brothers had sought bail following their arrest.
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing the victims’ families, welcomed the court’s decision. “Today, the bail for both Saurabh and Gaurav has been rejected. This is a day of justice for the families of all 25 victims. Although the fight is far from over, this marks the first milestone toward ensuring they receive the strictest punishment possible, including life imprisonment if warranted,” he said.
Joshi added that during the bail proceedings, the brothers and their legal team tried to block interventions from the victims’ side and opposed objections raised by the families. “They argued that it was not their responsibility to respond immediately to the fire and tried to downplay their role. But the court rejected these claims. For now, they will remain in custody,” he said.
He further noted that the Luthras have an anticipatory bail plea pending in a separate cheating case. “We hope bail will also be rejected there so that justice can proceed in the right direction, and the investigation continues,” Joshi said.
Advocate Parag Rao, representing the Luthra brothers, said the legal team will review the court order before deciding on future action, including a possible appeal to the High Court.
