Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers granted bail, set to walk out of jail
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Panaji (PTI): A Goa court on Wednesday granted bail to Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of fire-ravaged nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, in a forgery case, paving the way for their release from jail. The brothers had earlier secured bail in a case related to the devastating blaze of last December that left 25 dead.
Advocate Parag Rao, representing the Luthras, told reporters that Judicial Magistrate First Class (Mapusa) Jude Sequeira granted regular bail to the accused in the forgery case.
With this verdict, Rao said, the brothers will be released from jail.
Rao said his clients have been asked to report to the Mapusa police station for the next five days. “We are waiting for the detailed judgment in the case,” he said.
The case pertains to allegations that the Luthra brothers used forged documents, including a fake no-objection certificate (NOC), to obtain permissions and an excise licence for operating their nightclub at Arpora village in North Goa.
According to police, the alleged forged NOC was later used to get regulatory clearances.
A sessions court at Mapusa on April 1 had granted bail to the two brothers in a case related to the deadly fire at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub last December that killed 25 persons.
Hours after the fire broke out at the club on December 6, 2025, the brothers had fled to Thailand, from where they were deported to India on December 17 and arrested by the Anjuna police from the coastal state.
The forgery case was registered separately by Mapusa police after a complaint from the health officer of the Candolim Primary Health Centre, who alleged that his signature had been forged and a fabricated entry had been made in the official register to secure the health NOC.
The tragedy had triggered a massive probe into fire safety violations, licensing procedures and alleged negligence in the operation of the club.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
