Panaji:
A court in Goa has granted bail to Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo’ nightclub at Arpora, where a deadly fire had claimed the lives of 25 people last December.
The bail order was passed by the Additional Sessions Judges’ Court in Merces in the fire case. However, they will not walk out of jail yet, as they remain in custody in a separate case of alleged forgery.
The Luthra brothers, who had fled the country and were brought back from Thailand, are lodged in North Goa’s Colvale central jail.
They face charges of negligence, endangering human life, and other offences, in connection with the deadly fire that erupted at their nightclub on December 7.
During their bail hearing, their lawyer pointed out that the investigation in the fire case is complete and the chargesheet has already been filed. But the trial is likely to take a long time, and the accused should not be kept in jail indefinitely, it argued.
Advocate Vaibhav Suri, appearing along with Senior Advocate Subodh Kantak, said the court accepted their argument. The court observed that once the chargesheet is filed, continued custody for an uncertain period is not justified, Suri said.
The court also imposed several strict conditions on the accused. They have been directed not to influence any witnesses or tamper with evidence, nor are they allowed to leave India without prior permission of the court.
The accused have also been directed to submit their mobile numbers and residential address with documentary proof. They must also be reachable by the Anjuna Police during their bail period. They have also been asked to deposit their passports.
The Luthra brothers remain in jail in a separate case, with the police suspecting that they may have forged the documents necessary for running their nightclub.
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