PANAJI
The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court, Mapusa today granted bail to Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, who face charges of allegedly fabricating a no-objection certificate (NOC) to obtain an excise license for their establishment, Birch By Romeo Lane in Arpora.
The brothers have been lodged in Colvale Central Jail since December 2025, when they were deported from Thailand after fleeing India in the aftermath of a catastrophic fire at their nightclub. The blaze, which broke out on December 6, claimed 25 lives including 20 staff members and five tourists and left several others injured.
The police said the two men escaped the country soon after the incident, prompting the issuance of a Blue Notice by Interpol to trace their movements. They were subsequently located and deported back to India, where they were taken into custody.
Last week, the Mapusa court granted them regular bail in connection with the fire tragedy wherein they are charged with culpable homicide. The latest order pertains to a separate case in which the police alleged the brothers forged the signature of a health officer and falsified an NOC to fraudulently secure permission to serve liquor. They have also been charged with criminal conspiracy.
The bail ruling comes less than two weeks after the Mapusa court rejected their anticipatory bail plea on March 27.
