Goa nightclub fire: Court grants bail to managers Rajveer Singhania, Priyanshu Thakur; 3rd denied relief

PANAJI: A Goa court on Tuesday granted bail to two managers of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, who were arrested in connection with the deadly fire that claimed 25 lives earlier this month, while rejecting a similar plea by a third manager. District Judge D V Patkar allowed the bail applications of Rajveer Singhania and Priyanshu Thakur, managers at the club, but denied relief to Vivek Singh. All three were arrested on December 7, a day after a massive blaze broke out at the nightclub in Arpora village, North Goa, according to news agency PTI. Advocate Vinayak Parab, appearing for Singhania, the bar manager, and Thakur, the gate manager, said the court imposed strict conditions while granting bail. The accused have been directed not to directly or indirectly induce, threaten or influence any person connected with the case. The court also barred the two from leaving India without prior written permission and instructed them to cooperate with the investigation. They have been asked to remain available for questioning by the investigating officer whenever required. As per the bail order, the duo must report to the investigating officer or the Anjuna police station once a month, preferably on the first Wednesday, until the filing of the chargesheet or final report. The fire, which broke out around midnight on December 6, killed 20 staff members and five tourists. So far, eight people have been arrested in the case, including the club’s co-owners, Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh, who were deported from Thailand.