Goa Nightclub Fire: High Court Directs Luthra Brothers to Deposit ₹20 Lakh Each as Interim Aid

The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Goa’s Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, to deposit ₹20 lakh each as interim compensation following a fire that killed 25 people and injured 50 others in December last year.

A division bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar issued the direction while hearing a petition concerning relief for the victims’ families. The judges clarified that the proposed deposit would not affect the owners’ arguments in the main case, leaving the question of final compensation open.

Advocate Prachi Sawant, representing the victims’ families, told the court that they had sought ₹50 lakh for each victim’s family, against the ₹25 lakh offered by the nightclub owners. The bench suggested an interim deposit of ₹20 lakh each and asked the parties to discuss the arrangement before the next hearing.

Sawant also informed the court that families of four tourists who died in the blaze had filed a case before a consumer court in Haryana. Responses from all the victims’ families regarding the proposed compensation were still awaited.

The court directed the amicus curiae appointed to assist it to prepare a detailed list of cases pending in connection with the tragedy. The parties have been asked to report the outcome of their discussions by October 21, when the matter will be heard again.

The fire broke out on December 6, 2025, at the nightclub in Arpora village, North Goa, while a dance party was underway. The tragedy raised serious questions about safety at the establishment.

The Luthra brothers fled to Thailand after the incident and were deported to India on December 17. They are currently lodged in Colvale Central Jail in North Goa. The court’s latest direction seeks to advance interim relief while the wider compensation dispute remains unresolved.