A court in Goa on Tuesday granted bail to two nightclub managers who had been arrested in connection with a fire that claimed 25 lives there earlier this month, The Times of India. The court, however, rejected a similar petition filed by the general manager of the establishment.
The fire had erupted around midnight on December 7 in a club named Birch by Romeo Lane, located near Baga beach, one of the most popular tourist spots in Goa. Twenty staff members and five tourists were killed.
A preliminary inquiry said that “electric firecrackers” set off inside the premises triggered the fire.
On Tuesday, District Judge DV Patkar allowed the bail application filed by the bar manager, Rajveer Singhania, and the gate manager, Priyanshu Thakur. However, the judge denied relief to the general manager, Vivek Singh.
All three of them had been arrested on December 7.
The lawyer representing Singhania and Thakur said that the court granted them bail with strict conditions, including directions that they must not influence or threaten anyone connected with the case, The Times of India reported.
The two men cannot leave India without prior permission, the lawyer said.
They have also been asked to remain available for questioning and to report to the investigating officer or the Anjuna police station once a month until the chargesheet or final report in the case is filed, the newspaper reported.
Meanwhile, a Goa court on Monday extended the police custody of the owners of the club, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, by five days, the Hindustan Times reported.
The brothers, who were in Delhi when the fire broke out, were also booked after the incident but they had gone to Thailand. While the police accused them of having fled the country, they claimed that they had travelled to the southeast Asian country for business reasons.
On December 16, the two of them were deported from Thailand and taken into custody as soon as they landed in Delhi.
Also read: The expensive fantasy of Goa displaces Goans and runs on cheap migrant labour
Just 0.2% of readers pay for news. The others don’t care if it dies. You can help make a difference. Support independent journalism – join Scroll now.
We’re not driven by clicks or corporate interests – just honest, independent reporting. Keep us going. Support Scroll today!