A court in Goa on Wednesday granted bail to the Luthra brothers, the owners of a nightclub where a fire killed 25 people in December last year.
Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, were granted regular bail in a forgery case by Judicial Magistrate First Class (Mapusa) Jude Sequeira, paving the way for their release from jail.
The brothers had earlier in April secured bail in a case related to the deadly fire at the club.
Advocate Parag Rao, representing the Luthras, told reporters that 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.
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.
(With inputs from PTI)