Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, Saurav and Gaurav Luthra, have offered to pay ₹15 lakh each as ex gratia compensation to the families of the 25 people who died in the December 6, 2025 fire at the nightclub.
The offer was placed before the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday during the court’s suo motu proceedings into the tragedy. The Division Bench comprising Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar directed that the victims’ families be asked whether they are willing to accept the proposed compensation.
The court also stressed that the compensation process should not be delayed. The Bench noted that the government’s ex gratia assistance is, so far, the only compensation received by the victims’ families.
The development came after the Luthra brothers sought an adjournment through their lawyer. The court was informed that the brothers had been produced before the Mapusa trial court in connection with their bail proceedings and that further instructions were required from them.
At an earlier hearing, the Luthras had proposed a common compensation mechanism under which payments would be made to the victims’ families. The High Court had sought further details of the proposed arrangement.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the Bench reiterated that the process should be taken forward promptly and recorded the Luthras’ offer of ₹15 lakh for each victim.
The court has now sought the response of the affected families and adjourned the proceedings to October 12.
