MAPUSA
The Additional Sessions Court at Mapusa on Wednesday granted conditional bail to brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra in the Birch by Romeo Lane fire case at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, 2025.
The court directed each accused to furnish a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties of the like amount. One surety must be a family member or close relative, and neither can have criminal antecedents.
The brothers were directed not to induce, threaten or promise anyone acquainted with the case, directly or indirectly, or tamper with evidence. They cannot leave India without prior written permission and must obtain the court’s no-objection before seeking revocation of their passport suspension and release of their passports.
They must remain present at every hearing unless exempted, and furnish their residential addresses with documentary proof and active contact numbers to the court and Anjuna Police Station to enable police to ascertain their whereabouts.
However, they are unlikely to be released immediately as they face a separate case involving an allegedly forged health certificate. Its bail hearing is scheduled for October 9.
The Luthra brothers and co-accused Ajay Gupta surrendered before the Mapusa court on September 14 following Supreme Court directions. They had approached the Supreme Court after the Bombay High Court set aside their earlier bail.
The trio had been arrested by Anjuna Police in the fire case. After completing its investigation, police filed a charge sheet against 13 accused. The Mapusa court had initially rejected the Luthra brothers’ bail pleas but later granted bail, which was subsequently set aside by the Bombay High Court.
