PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the owners and partner of Birch by Romeo Lane to pay Rs 20 lakh each to the families of the 25 victims of the December 2025 nightclub fire in three instalments, with the first Rs 5 lakh due by November 16.
In its order on Monday, the Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar directed the respondents Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra and Ajay Gupta to deposit Rs 5 lakh per victims’ families by November 16, another Rs 5 lakh by December 7 and the remaining Rs 10 lakh by February 7, 2027. The entire amount must be deposited with the court.
“The amounts deposited would have to be adjusted in the final award that would be passed by this court,” the Bench said.
The matter will be heard next on December 2, when the court will review the first instalment payment and take up the suo motu public interest litigation for further hearing.
The court also clarified that the deposits would not determine or limit the final compensation. A Delhi family that lost four members in the fire had sought clarification on whether it would have to return any excess amount if the compensation awarded by the High Court exceeded the amount granted by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Gurugram, where it has filed a case against the nightclub.
The Bench said that the amount deposited should not be reduced if the final compensation awarded to any family is lower.
“We make it clear that if any of the above (families) are awarded compensation less than the amount so far deposited, the amount so far deposited should not be reduced under any circumstances,” it said, clarifying the extra compensation amount would be treated as an ex-gratia payment.
One victim’s family has not approached any forum or initiated proceedings for compensation. The respondents told the court they had no objection to releasing the ex-gratia amount deposited for the family, subject to any future proceedings or orders.
The directions follow the October 12 hearing, when the Bench suggested an interim deposit of Rs 20 lakh per victim after families sought compensation of at least Rs 50 lakh each.
Advocate Prachi Sawant, appointed under the legal aid scheme to represent the dependants of all 25 victims, told the court that the families who responded felt the amount was inadequate. “I had explained the proposal to them, and they said something close to Rs 50 lakh should be given to them,” she told the Bench.
The December 6, 2025 fire claimed 25 lives, including 20 Birch staff members and five tourists.
