In a second case to allegations of cheating and forgery, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa, where 25 people died in a terrible fire on December 6 have been granted bail. The progress is made days after the pair bailed out on the initial case involving culpable homicide, clearing the way to their probable freedom by prison by evening on Wednesday.
Parag Rao, a judicial magistrate in Mapusa granted bail in the second instance, with conditions such as a bond of 1 lakh rupees and a surety of 50,000 each as per their advice. Both cases being granted bail, the Luthra brothers will be set free, as soon as all formalities are followed.
The two had been arrested on December 16 at the Delhi airport after they had been deported to Thailand where they had fled after the incident. Their passports were suspended and an Interpol notice was issued which helped them to return to India.
They were accused under the clauses of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, e.g. culpable homicide which was not a murder, endangering life and safety, and careless management of fire-related substances, in the main case. The second one is that the brothers forged documents in the process of licensing and approval of the nightclub.
The devastating fire had caused a great commotion and brought up severe concerns regarding safety standards and regulation. The incident and related irregularities are still being investigated.