In the Goa Nightclub Fire case, Rs 20 lakh for each of the 25 people killed in the December 2025 blaze at Arpora is to be deposited in Court in three instalments ending February 7, 2027, and the Bombay High Court at Goa has made it clear that none of it will be refunded under any circumstances, even if a later award fixes a lower figure.
Panaji: Money paid into Court for the victims of the fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub cannot be taken back, the Bombay High Court at Goa has ruled. On Monday, November 2, 2026, the Court accepted a statement by the limited liability partnership arrayed as Respondent No. 53A in the suo motu proceedings, under which it will deposit a further Rs 20 lakh for each of the 25 victims, over and above the Rs 2 lakh it has already paid [High Court on its own motion v. State of Goa through the Chief Secretary & 57 Ors.].
The order was passed by a Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit S. Jamsandekar in Public Interest Litigation (Suo Motu) No. 1 of 2026. That matter is being heard along with a separate PIL, a criminal writ petition and two miscellaneous applications arising from the same tragedy.
The refund clause
The Bench recorded the statement as made on behalf of Respondent No. 53A and, in accepting it, closed off any route back for the money:
“The statement made by the learned Senior Counsel is accepted by the Court. The aforementioned amounts shall be deposited by the Respondent No.53A within the timelines specified above, as an ex-gratia payment. It is clarified that, in the event any award or order passed in the proceedings initiated by any of the aforesaid persons directs payment of compensation lesser than the amount directed to be deposited under this order, the ex gratia amount deposited pursuant to this order shall not, under any circumstances, be refunded to Respondent No. 53A.”
Three instalments
For each person, Rs 5 lakh is to be deposited in this Court on or before November 16, 2026, another Rs 5 lakh on or before December 7, 2026, and the remaining Rs 10 lakh on or before February 7, 2027. The matter will next be heard on December 2, 2026.
Rs 50 lakh asked for, Rs 20 lakh offered
Advocate Prachi Sawant, appointed under the legal aid scheme to appear for the victims’ families, asked the Court to grant compensation of Rs 50 lakh to each victim. Respondent No. 53A opposed that figure.
Appearing on instructions, Senior Advocate S.S. Kantak told the Bench that, in addition to the Rs 2 lakh already paid by the LLP “comprising its partners”, a further Rs 20 lakh would be deposited in respect of each of the club’s employees who died. He then made a statement covering the five victims who were not employees but tourists present at the club that night: Rs 20 lakh each would be deposited for them as well.
Mr Kantak added that the deposits were being made without prejudice to the rights and contentions of Respondent No. 53A. Legal aid counsel for the victims maintained that Rs 20 lakh was inadequate and that fair compensation should be no less than Rs 50 lakh.
Set against other claims
According to the order, claims for the 20 employees are pending before the Labour Commissioner under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, and the amounts deposited will be adjusted against any final award passed there. For four of the five tourists, complaints are pending before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in Haryana, and the ex gratia deposited for them will likewise be adjusted against any amount awarded in those cases.
One victim’s family has not yet started any proceedings. As to that victim, Respondent No. 53A said it had no objection to the release of the ex gratia amount, subject to orders in any proceedings the family may bring later.
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What has and has not been decided
Respondent No. 53A offered the deposit and the Court accepted it. It is not a finding on liability or on the final quantum of compensation, which remains open before the Labour Commissioner and the consumer forums. Criminal proceedings arising from the fire are separate, the allegations in them are yet to be tested at trial, and every accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Why the order matters
Statutory compensation claims for workers and consumer complaints by tourists’ families can take years. The order places Rs 20 lakh per victim in Court on a fixed timetable and rules out any refund even if the final awards come in lower, so families who lost kitchen workers and holidaying relatives do not have to wait for those proceedings to end before the money is in Court. It also shows the suo motu PIL being used to press the club’s operators toward immediate redress while questions of accountability are still being examined.
Case Title: High Court on its own motion (Tragedy taken place at Arpora in a tragic fire incident) v. State of Goa through the Chief Secretary & 57 Ors., with Aishwarya Arjun Salgaonkar v. State of Goa & 12 Ors. and connected matters
Case No.: Public Interest Litigation (Suo Motu) No. 1 of 2026, with PIL WP No. 3223 of 2025 (F), Criminal Writ Petition No. 207 of 2026, Criminal Misc. Application No. 101 of 2026 and Misc. Civil Application No. 983 of 2026 (F)
Court: Bombay High Court at Goa
Bench: Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit S. Jamsandekar
Date of Order: November 2, 2026
Amicus Curiae: Advocates Terence Sequeira and Yash Kunde
For the State of Goa: Advocate General Devidas Pangam with Additional Government Advocates
For Respondent Nos. 53, 53(A) and 54: Senior Advocate S.S. Kantak with Advocates Parag Rao, Neha Kholkar, Akhil Parrikar and S. Drago
For the Victims (Legal Aid): Advocate Prachi Sawant
Next Date: December 2, 2026
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