Goa nighclub fire: Owners booked, sarpanch detained in widening police action

The Goa Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane after a devastating fire killed 25 people and injured six others.

The FIR names Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the club’s owners. Along with them, the club manager and event organisers are also being investigated. Meanwhile, the panchayat head of Arpora–Nagoa, Roshan Redkar—the sarpanch who had issued the trade licence to the nightclub in 2013—has been detained for questioning.

“Police registered an FIR against Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane Nightclub, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita,” a senior police officer told news agency PTI.

‘Kitchen was dead end’

Authorities say the fire broke out at the venue shortly after midnight of Sunday, during a party attended by around 100 people. According Goa Police chief Alok Kumar, the blaze was triggered by a cylinder blast in the club’s kitchen, PTI reported.

Eyewitnesses, however, claim the fire started on the club’s dance floor. “There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” said Fatima Shaikh, a tourist from Hyderabad to The Times of India.

As panic set in, many of those inside rushed toward the ground floor kitchen area—but that turned into a death trap. The club reportedly had narrow exits and no proper escape routes, and the kitchen area acted as a “dead end,” contributing to the high number of deaths.

Out of the 25 people who died, police say 14 were staff members and four were tourists; the identities of the remaining seven victims are yet to be confirmed.

A preliminary probe into the tragedy indicated that the club’s construction flouted norms. The building was made without a valid construction licence, on what was earlier a saltpan—an eco‑sensitive zone—and under regulations that prohibit such construction on intertidal land.

The local panchayat had issued a demolition notice earlier, but that notice was later stayed on appeal by a higher authority, allowing the nightclub to continue operations.

Facing mounting outrage over serious safety lapses, Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, promising strict action against those found responsible.