Goa nightclub fire: CM Pramod Sawant orders demolition of Luthras' flagship property, PIL seeks court-monitored probe — Top points to know

A massive fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora on December 7 killed 25 people, including staff members and five tourists from outside Goa.  Officials pointed out that the panchayat had the authority to seal the illegal premises under Section 72 A of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act but did not exercise it. The tragedy has now triggered a sweeping state-wide crackdown on illegal clubs and a hunt for the owners of the establishment.

 

Goa club fire latest news: Top developments so far

 

• The Goa government has decided to demolish all clubs and cafés operated by the Luthra brothers in Vagator and surrounding coastal areas. Panchayats have been asked to issue fresh notices for action.

 

• Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered the demolition of the Luthras’ flagship property, Romeo Lane Vagator. Officials found that the structure was illegally built on government land and had no fire clearances, structural safety permissions or environmental approvals. The outlet was so close to the shoreline that waves reportedly reached the loft during high tide. 

 

A public interest litigation has been filed before the Bombay High Court's Goa bench seeking a court-monitored probe into the incident that killed 25 people. The PIL claimed that the nightclub was operating without a valid construction license and despite several demolition orders issued against it. 

 

Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice to help trace Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane. Goa Police requested the notice through the CBI after the brothers left India within five hours of the fire.

 

• The Luthras are believed to have flown to Phuket in Thailand shortly after the incident. A lookout notice has been pasted outside their home in Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar and a police team has already visited the residence.

 

• Goa Police and the CBI’s Interpol wing are now coordinating efforts to pinpoint their location. Officials said that a Red Notice may be issued at a later stage once a non-bailable warrant is secured and the chargesheet is ready.

 

• Despite years of complaints to various authorities, including the police, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, the Pollution Control Board and the Town and Country Planning department, the Vagator club continued to operate. Earlier demolition was done only partially, which allowed the club to continue running in a makeshift manner.

 

• Local activist Ravi Harmalkar, who repeatedly warned officials about the risks posed by the structure, reportedly faced threats from the Luthra brothers. With no action forthcoming, he approached the Bombay High Court at the Goa Bench, which eventually ordered demolition.

 

• In Arpora, the original landowner Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar said he had been warning authorities about the illegalities on his land for nearly 20 years. He bought the plots in 1994 and later signed a sale agreement with Surinder Kumar Khosla in 2004. The agreement was withdrawn within six months because Khosla did not pay the money agreed upon.

 

• Amonkar said that despite the cancelled agreement, Khosla went on to set up commercial structures on the land which were later taken over by the Luthra brothers. Amonkar and another complainant, Sunil Divkar, approached the panchayat, which issued a demolition notice in 2024. A site inspection had found unauthorised restaurants, shops and structures built on saltpans.

 

• Khosla managed to secure a stay from the Directorate of Panchayats which halted the demolition. Amonkar said Khosla is the main accused and claimed he may also attempt to flee.

 

• Arpora Sarpanch Roshan Redkar said that all earlier attempts to demolish the illegal structures were blocked because of the stay order. The Chief Minister’s Office said the local panchayat had allowed the nightclub to operate by issuing NOCs for electricity, water, repairs and the trade licence even though its licence expired in March 2024.

 

 

(With inputs from agencies)