(Image source from: Freepressjournal.in)
Interpol has sent out Blue Corner Notices for Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, which is the nightclub in Arpora where a terrible fire took the lives of 25 people last week, according to Goa police reports from Tuesday. The police mentioned that the notice was issued within just two days of the tragedy. The Blue Corner Notice will aid in locating the accused who have escaped and will stop them from traveling to other locations from their current spot abroad. The Luthra brothers had escaped to Phuket in Thailand only hours after the large fire at their nightclub. They are now facing accusations of negligent homicide and being part of a criminal plot. Additionally, the police have issued Look Out Circulars (LOCs) against other accused owners, like Ajay Gupta and Surinder Kumar Khosla.
In a conversation with the media, Goa's tourism minister Rohan Khaunte stated that everyone involved, from top to bottom, would face consequences. He mentioned that all tourist destinations must comply with regulations properly. "This nightclub where the incident happened is not registered under the tourism department's regulations. However, tourists have been impacted, and it sends a bad message. I've discussed my concerns with the chief minister, and we need a thorough investigation into the whole situation. Everyone responsible must be held accountable, and necessary actions should be taken," he explained. On another note, Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, the original owner of the land in Arpora, told a news agency that he has been warning authorities for 20 years about the illegal structures built by Khosla. Amonkar had made a sale agreement with Khosla in 2004 but canceled it within six months because Khosla did not make any payments. "I've been battling Khosla for 20 years, who's been involved in various illegal activities on my property," Amonkar stated.
Despite the argument and a court case that is still happening, Khosla is said to have constructed shops, restaurants, six buildings and platforms — some of which are located on salt flats, according to Amonkar’s complaint. A complaint made in December 2023 to the Arpora-Nagoa panchayat led to an inspection of the site, a notice to explain in February 2024, and eventually an order for demolition, which mentioned that Khosla did not provide proof of legality. However, Khosla obtained a stay order from the Directorate of Panchayats.
The Chief Minister’s Office mentioned that the local sarpanch granted no-objection certificates for water, electricity, home repairs, and business licenses despite previous cancellations and rule violations. The nightclub continued to operate even after its business license expired in March 2024 — this is against Section 72-A of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, which allows the panchayat to shut down businesses.
Investigators point out that the club did not have emergency exits on two levels and held fire shows without the necessary safety equipment — factors that played a significant role in the high number of casualties. A report from the District Tourism Police indicated that the accused “arranged a fire show without taking the required precautions” even while being aware of the dangers. At the same time, a beach shack run by the Luthra brothers in Vagator has been closed and is planned for demolition because it was allegedly constructed on government property.
