Kamal Ghorui
PANAJI: The Mapusa JMFC court granted bail to Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra in the alleged NOC forgery case on a bond of Rs 50,000 each, paving the way for their release.The court did not make any oral observations, stating that detailed reasoning would be part of the written order.The brothers are accused of using a forged no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Candolim primary health centre to operate their nightclub.Mapusa police had registered a separate FIR based on a complaint by the health officer, alleging that individuals linked to Birch impersonated him, forged his signature and made false entries in official records to obtain the NOC.The Luthra brothers, owners of the nightclub where a fire killed 25 people in December last year, had earlier secured bail on April 1 from a sessions court in Merces in connection with the fire tragedy.However, they remained in custody after being arrested by Mapusa police in a separate case involving the alleged forgery of a no-objection certificate (NOC). With bail now granted in this second case as well, the brothers are set to walk out of jail.The accused had fled to Thailand after the December 6, 2025 incident and were later extradited to India. They were represented by senior advocate Subodh Kantak.The Goa government had initiated criminal proceedings against the club owners over alleged negligence and violation of mandatory safety norms. Police had said the brothers organised a fire show at the venue despite the absence of proper emergency exits on the ground and deck floors.A case was registered on December 7 at Anjuna police station under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.The incident also triggered administrative action, with the state government dismissing Arpora village panchayat sarpanch Roshan Redkar and secretary Raghuvir Bagkar in January, citing “persistent negligence”.A magisterial inquiry report noted that the Birch establishment was initially run from a temporary shed and later converted into a nightclub without approved building plans, with alleged irregularities overlooked by local authorities.
