Goa Fire Live Updates: Luthra brothers’ bail order to be pronounced at 5 pm

A Delhi court has reserved its order on the anticipatory bail petitions filed by Gaurav and Saurav Luthra in connection with the deadly fire at Goa nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane.

The Rohini court heard arguments on their pleas and said it will pronounce its order at 5 pm today.

Senior advocate Tanvir Ahmed Mir, appearing for accused restaurateurs Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra in the Goa club fire case, told the court that the FIR points to negligence, not homicide, and argued that his clients are being “vilified” without due process.

Mir said the Luthras and their families are facing threats amid a social media storm and claimed that two of their restaurants were bulldozed “without notice”. He stressed that the brothers are not absconding, are “ready to join the investigation”, and were never served a notice before warrants were issued.

Defending their travel abroad, Mir said the Luthras manage about 40 restaurants across India and “cannot be present everywhere”, adding that their Phuket trip was for a pre-planned event, not an attempt to evade the law.

He urged the court to protect the “life and liberty” of the accused, reminding that they are not convicts and continue to enjoy the legal presumption of innocence.

The Indian Coast Guard has intercepted a Pakistani fishing boat and detained 11 crew members for allegedly operating illegally inside Indian waters, officials said on Thursday.

The operation was carried out on Wednesday inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Gujarat Defence PRO Wing Commander Abhishek Kumar Tiwari said in a post on X. The detainees have been handed over to the Jakhau Marine Police in Gujarat for further investigation.

A court in Goa on Thursday remanded Ajay Gupta, who claims to be a “sleeping partner” and investor in the fire-hit ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, to seven days’ police custody.

Gupta was arrested in Delhi on Wednesday and brought to Goa on transit remand before being taken to Anjuna police station for questioning. Produced in a Mapusa court, he was sent to police custody for a week, against the ten days sought by the Goa Police, his lawyer Rohan Desai said.

Desai added that Gupta is “completely cooperating” with investigators. As he was escorted into a police vehicle, Gupta told reporters he had “no involvement” in the nightclub’s operations and insisted he was only a silent partner.

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday carried out multi-state searches in a money laundering probe linked to an alleged ISIS-inspired terror financing network, officials said.

Raids began early morning at around 40 locations, including the Padgha-Borivali belt in Thane near Mumbai, parts of Ratnagiri district, as well as premises in Delhi, Kolkata and several towns in Uttar Pradesh.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) provided security cover for operations in the state, while central security forces assisted ED teams in other regions.

The money laundering case is based on an NIA chargesheet that claims a “highly radicalised” ISIS-linked module was involved in recruitment, training, procurement of weapons and explosives, and fund-raising to sustain its activities.

According to officials, the ED is also probing intelligence inputs from Mumbai ATS about an illegal Khair wood smuggling racket, with suspected “proceeds of crime” being diverted to support extremist operations.

A military court in Pakistan has sentenced former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, retired Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, to 14 years in prison after a 15-month court-martial, the army said on Thursday.

The Field General Court Martial tried Hameed under the Pakistan Army Act on four counts — engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act in a way deemed harmful to state security, misuse of authority and government resources, and causing “wrongful loss” to individuals. The statement did not clarify who was affected by this alleged loss.

According to the military, the court found Hameed guilty on all charges after “lengthy and laborious” proceedings. It added that all legal formalities were followed and that Hameed was given full rights of defence, including legal representation of his choice.

Cold weather conditions persisted in Punjab and Haryana on Thursday, with minimum temperatures remaining a few degrees below normal at several places in the neighbouring states.

Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, the co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa where 25 people died in a December 6 fire incident, were detained by an Indian team in Thailand and are en route to Phuket airport. They are likely to be deported to India today, CNN-News18 reported citing sources.

The AQI (Air Quality Index) around the Ghazipur area in Delhi stands at 302, categorised as 'very poor', as claimed by CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board).

The Election Commission of India has decided to revise the schedule of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls for the State of West Bengal. The final publication of the electoral roll will be on 14 February 2026.