Granting bail to accused in Arpora fire case not justified, govt tells High Court
Panaji: The state government has filed petitions before the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking to quash and set aside the orders of the Mapusa Additional Sessions Court granting bail to accused Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra and Ajay Gupta in the Birch fire case.
In the petitions, the state contended that the case was serious and sensitive as 25 people had lost their lives and, therefore, granting bail to the accused in the Birch nightclub tragedy case was not justified.
Hearing the petition against Gupta on Wednesday, the court stated that the matter was an application seeking cancellation of bail arising out of the order dated March 23 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge-I, Mapusa, in a bail application of 2025.
The court granted time as prayed for and directed that replies, if any, be filed in the registry before the next date of hearing, with an advance copy to the other side.
The matter has been posted for further consideration on June 15.
The High Court has also issued notices to all three accused. The Anjuna police had filed charges in connection with the fire at Birch by Romeo Lane at Arpora in December last year.
While the accused were originally expected to remain in custody in a separate forgery case, the present High Court proceedings are focused on the bail granted in the fire tragedy case.
