The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court’s decision cancelling the bail of Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra and Ajay Gupta in the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire case in Goa.
A Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheel Nagu dismissed the pleas filed by the three accused and directed them to surrender within two weeks. The Court also directed that the trial proceedings may be expedited, particularly for framing of charges.
Background Of The Case
The case concerns the fire that broke out at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, on December 6, 2025. The incident resulted in the deaths of 25 people.
The three accused were associated with M/s Being GS Hospitality Arpora LLP, which operated the nightclub. They had earlier been granted bail by the Sessions Court. The Goa Government challenged the bail orders before the Bombay High Court.
On August 18, 2026, Justice Neela Gokhale of the Bombay High Court cancelled their bail, holding that the Sessions Court had not properly exercised its discretion while considering the bail applications.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for the Luthra brothers, argued that there was no specific act attributable to them that directly caused the deaths.
He submitted:
“There is no act of mine which has caused death. Maximum, if the prosecution wants to succeed in this case, then under Section 304A, causing death by negligence.”
Dave also argued that concerns regarding travel restrictions and periodic attendance before investigating officers could be addressed by imposing appropriate bail conditions.
Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Ajay Gupta, also sought relief from the cancellation of bail.
The Supreme Court, however, declined to interfere with the Bombay High Court’s order.
After hearing the submissions, Justice Dipankar Datta simply said:
“Dismissed.”
Following the dismissal, the Court granted the accused two weeks to surrender. It also directed that the trial court may expedite the proceedings for framing of charges.
The bail cancellation by the Bombay High Court therefore remained undisturbed.
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