Goa Nightclub Owners Ordered to Pay Twenty Lakh Rupees Each for Fire Victims

UPDATE - follow-up to Bombay HC orders accused in Goa fire case to deposit interim compensation of ₹20 lakh each: The Bombay High Court has directed Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, to deposit twenty lakh rupees each as interim compensation for the families of the people who died in the December 2025 club fire.

Court Proceedings

Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar heard the petition regarding relief for the victims of the North Goa tragedy. The court stated that this deposit remains subject to the final arguments in the main case. Lawyers representing the families of the deceased earlier requested compensation of fifty lakh rupees each. The bench instructed the appointed amicus curiae to prepare a complete list of pending cases related to the main matter and asked parties to work out the arrangement by October 21.

Incident Details

A massive fire erupted in the nightclub on the night of December 6 during a crowded party featuring an indoor fire show and pyrotechnics. Twenty-five people died in the incident, including twenty staff members working in the basement kitchen and five guests, while over fifty others sustained injuries. Following the disaster, the Luthra brothers fled to Thailand before being deported back to India on December 17. They are currently held in the Colvale Central Jail in North Goa.

Context

Interim compensation orders are temporary financial reliefs granted by courts while a main lawsuit or criminal trial is still ongoing to help affected families immediately. High courts often intervene in major public safety disasters to ensure victims receive preliminary assistance before final legal accountability is established.