Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The families of those killed in the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire have sought compensation of at least ₹50 lakh per victim, prompting the High Court of Bombay at Goa to suggest an interim deposit of ₹20 lakh each by the club’s owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra.
During Monday’s hearing, advocate Prachi Sawant, appointed under the legal aid scheme to represent the dependants of all 25 victims, told the Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar that nine families had responded to the owners’ earlier compensation proposal.
The brothers had previously offered ₹15 lakh per victim, inclusive of ₹2 lakh already paid to each family. Sawant said the families who contacted her felt the amount fell short of their expectations and indicated that compensation closer to ₹50 lakh would be appropriate.
The Bench suggested that the brothers deposit ₹20 lakh each as an interim measure. It stressed that the proposed payment would not settle the final compensation amount or affect the outcome of the ongoing proceedings. The court also noted that interest could continue to accrue while the matter remained pending.
Sawant informed the court that she would explain the revised proposal to the families and seek their responses. She also brought to the Bench’s attention a consumer complaint filed before the Haryana Consumer Commission by a family that lost four members in the tragedy.
The court directed Sawant to prepare a statement listing all pending cases and their present status by next Wednesday. She was also asked to report the families’ views on the suggested deposit. In addition, the Bench sought a medical examination of one of the two brothers.
At the September 30 hearing, the court had recorded the Luthra brothers’ offer of ₹15 lakh per victim, including the amount already paid. The Bench had then cautioned that the proposal might not be sufficient and that accepting it would not remove any party’s responsibility.
The fire broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane on December 6, 2025, claiming 25 lives, among them 21 nightclub employees. The final amount of compensation payable to the victims’ families is yet to be determined.
