Birch nightclub fire accused surrender in Goa after Supreme Court rebuff

Three prime accused in the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire surrendered before a Goa court on Monday, complying with a Supreme Court direction issued two weeks earlier.

Nightclub owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, along with their business partner Ajay Gupta, presented themselves before the Additional District and Sessions Court in Mapusa. Their counsel, advocate Saumya Drago, confirmed that the court accepted the surrender and issued the necessary remand orders.

The Supreme Court had on August 31 dismissed the trio's petitions challenging a Bombay High Court order that cancelled their bail, and directed them to surrender within a fortnight. The apex court also asked the trial court to expedite proceedings in the case.

The High Court had cancelled the bail on August 18, citing the gravity of the matter and the need for further legal proceedings. The accused then moved the Supreme Court, which declined to interfere.

During Monday's proceedings, the court allowed their requests concerning medicines and a mattress, while keeping a plea for special footwear pending and seeking a response from the investigating officer. The matter is expected to be taken up on the next working day.

The fire at the nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, on December 6, 2025, killed 25 people and left several others injured.

According to the chargesheet, the accused have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, acts endangering human life, negligent conduct with respect to fire and combustible matter, forgery, use of forged documents as genuine and criminal conspiracy. The chargesheet alleged that their irresponsible acts caused the deaths of 25 people in the mass-casualty incident, resulting in irreparable loss to the families of the victims.