Goa fire: Nightclub built on salt pan ignored multiple warnings; ran despite demolition order

Goa nighclub fire

The deadly fire at Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular nightclub in Goa’s Arpora village, has raised serious questions about how the establishment was allowed to function without proper permissions.

The incident, which occurred late Saturday night, claimed the lives of 25 people. Police have now registered a case against Romeo Lane chairman Saurabh Luthra, along with the club’s partners, managers, and event organisers.

According to the FIR, the nightclub was operating without the required licences and approvals from the competent authorities.

Demolition notice was issued against the club

Roshan Redkar, the sarpanch of the Arpora-Nagoa village panchayat, revealed that the structure was illegally built without a construction licence.

Redkar said the nightclub was run by Luthra, and there had been a dispute between him and the landowner, and another dispute with his business partners, leading to some complaints. “After an inquiry, we issued a demolition notice after following due process. However, the demolition notice was stayed upon appeal,” Redkar was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

After an official inquiry in April 2024, the village panchayat declared the construction illegal and issued a demolition notice to the property owner, Surinder Kumar Khosla.

The notice ordered the removal of unauthorised constructions, including shops, restaurants and platforms, within 15 days. However, the demolition process came to a halt when Khosla appealed against the notice before the Deputy Director of Panchayats, who then granted a stay, allowing the club to continue operating.

Warnings of danger were raised earlier

Concerns about the land and construction had been flagged much earlier. In December 2023, local residents Pradeep Amonkar and Sunil Divkar filed a formal complaint to the panchayat stating that the property fell in an eco-sensitive zone, specifically a salt pan area.

The complaint warned that the club was being run in an “unstable structure submerged in a water body, which could, [at] any time, give way” and cause “a major tragedy involving the lives of innocent tourists”.

The issue was also raised in the Goa Legislative Assembly in August by BJP MLA Sankalp Amonkar. He pointed out that illegal constructions were taking place in a highly sensitive environmental area containing paddy fields and salt pans. He accused authorities of failing to act, even after the demolition notice was issued in April.