Exclusive: Goa club fire probe puts bulk of blame on panchayat, some scrutiny on govt departments

The Indian Express earlier reported that at least seven approvals were given by the local panchayat in Arpora and government departments so that the club could operate. The approvals include trade, excise and food safety licences; a pollution body nod; and three no-objection certificates.

All of these are now under the scanner.

While the probe report places the bulk of the blame on the panchayat, various government departments have not been spared scrutiny either. For instance, the official pointed out, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority had received two complaints alleging illegal construction and violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules in an eco-sensitive zone (salt pan), but did not act, stating that it was outside its jurisdiction.

Sources said the inquiry committee has suggested that an inquiry be conducted into how the salt pan, which existed in the plans of the Department of Water Resources, was not mapped in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2011, which was notified in 2022. The committee is also learnt to have pointed out that the Goa State Pollution Control Board issued a consent to operate to the club on April 22, 2024, claiming that it did not violate the CRZ rules.

Further, the police did not act against noise pollution complaints filed against the club. “Complaints were filed at the Anjuna police station. There are several directives of the High Court mandating action on such complaints,” an official said. “As per records, the establishment had not obtained a valid NOC from the fire department. The department claims it never received an application, but they received an application for the neighbouring resort property and should have ideally checked the club’s compliance too.”

The report also mentions that some documents, including an NOC for sanitation and a police verification antecedents document, were allegedly forged by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the brothers who owned the club.

On the cause of the fire, the inquiry committee’s observations are learnt to be “inconclusive”, with investigators stating that a forensic report will establish how it started. While “fireworks activity” from sparkler machines near the stage in the deck area remains the most plausible theory, “conflicting” opinions appeared during the probe, including the possibility of a short circuit in electrical systems above the main stage.

The four-member magisterial inquiry committee was set up by the Goa government on December 8 to probe the incident and fix accountability.