GOA: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed pleas challenging the Bombay High Court’s order that set aside the bail granted to three accused in connection with the 2025 Goa nightclub fire that claimed 25 lives.According to news agency PTI, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu directed accused nightclub owners Saurav Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, along with their business partner Ajay Gupta, to surrender within two weeks.The top court also asked the lower court to expedite the trial in the case.On December 6, 2025, a devastating fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora claimed 25 lives and left 50 others injured.On August 18, the Bombay High Court cancelled the trio’s bail, observing that the trial court had failed to properly consider the material collected during the investigation.The high court also said the trial court had erred in holding that the offence was not as heinous as murder or dacoity.The high court had also said that the material on record indicated the restaurant was operating without licences and its structure was unauthorised, and also that the accused and his partners allegedly knew about the risks of conducting fire displays inside the facility without adequate safety measures.The Luthra brothers, along with Ajay Gupta, were partners in M/s Being GS Hospitality Arpora LLP, which operated the nightclub. The trial court granted bail to the three accused in April this year.The Bombay High Court, in its order, had directed the trio to surrender before the sessions court within two weeks.The Goa government had challenged the sessions court’s decision to grant bail to the three accused before the high court.(With agency inputs)
