Goa nightclub fire: As anger grows, probe widens, officials are questioned

The Goa Tourism Department on Tuesday demolished a portion of Romeo Lane Goa (Vagator), a beach shack that was also run by the Luthra brothers, which had been sealed by revenue authorities on Sunday.

The brothers had taken a flight to Phuket at 5.30 am on December 7, just hours after the fire at Birch, which took place close to midnight.

Police said the Blue Corner Notice against the Luthras was issued within two days of the incident, even though the process usually takes a week or more. “This notice will help trace the accused and will also prevent them from immigrating to any other country from their present destination,” the Goa Police said in a statement.

Police on Tuesday named two more accused, Ajay Gupta and Surinder Kumar Khosla, who is the owner of the property where Birch by Romeo Lane had been operating. Police sources said Gupta, a resident of Gurgaon, is a businessman and is involved in real estate projects in Goa. Khosla, a British national, had leased the property to Luthras.

In a press conference, DIG (crime and range) Varsha Sharma said, “While perusing the documents, we found his (Gupta’s) name also. He is one of the partners and an accused in the case.”

Police said arrest warrants were issued against Gaurav Luthra (44), Saurabh Luthra (40) and Ajay Gupta. Look Out Circulars (LOCs) for the Luthra brothers, Gupta and Khosla were also issued, they said. Gupta was subsequently detained.

Five arrests

DIG Sharma said five people had been arrested in the case so far. “All are from the management of the nightclub. Regarding the owners and partners of the concerned nightclub, we have opened LOC, and Blue Corner Notices in coordination with CBI and Interpol are ongoing, so that we apprehend them,” said the DIG.

Police said the five arrested earlier were operational managers, who managed day-to-day affairs and looked after the basic operations of the club. The DIG said these managers were found to be negligent in their roles, especially regarding electrical fittings and the putting in place of fire extinguishers.

On Monday, the Goa Police had written to the Regional Passport Officer in Goa, requesting the “urgent revocation of passports” of the Luthra brothers. In a communique to the police, Goa Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Nijo Varghese replied, “The passports of the accused were issued by RPO Delhi. Considering the seriousness of the matter, RPO Delhi has already issued impounding notices to both passport holders.”

‘Encroachment’ demolished

The Tourism Department’s action to demolish the Vagator beach that belonged to the Luthra brothers was undertaken in connection with encroachment on an area falling within the jurisdiction of the department, officials said.

“Upon verification, the encroached portion was found to be illegal and in violation of the applicable regulations, following which demolition action was carried out strictly as per law,” an official said.

“A portion of the shack, about 198 square metres, which had been encroached on the government beach property, abutting two survey numbers, has been demolished. These encroached structures were demolished in July too, but the structures were rebuilt. The encroachments have been removed today,” said Rodlin Mascrenhas, Deputy Director, Tourism.

Officials said the same structure had been subjected to demolition in 2024 for similar violations. “Despite the earlier enforcement action, the unauthorised portion was reconstructed without approval, necessitating fresh action by the Department. The Department further places on record that it functions as the registering authority for private shacks [under its jurisdiction]… and is not the licensing authority,” the Tourism Department said in a statement.

Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said, “The Department of Tourism has a clear mandate in areas that fall within its jurisdiction. Enforcement actions such as this are part of our ongoing drives against illegal structures, unauthorised activities, touts, and other practices that damage Goa’s tourism credibility.”

Officials questioned

Police said statements of two officials who were placed under suspension for allowing the club to operate — former member secretary of Goa State Pollution Control Board, Dr Sharmila Monteiro, and former director of the Directorate of Panchayat, Siddhi Harlankar — have been recorded and some government officials are being summoned for questioning.

The inquiry committee, under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate of North Goa, called the documents from all concerned departments and interacted with officers of the Environment Department and the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, an official said.

The cause of death of 19 killed in the fire incident has been certified as “cerebral and pulmonary edema consequent to inhalation of asphyxiant gases”, while the cause of death of two has been established as “pulmonary and cerebral edema consequent to inhalation of asphyxiant gases in a person with desino epidermal flame burn injuries”.