The investigation into the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub tragedy has deepened, with the FIR accessed confirming.
That the club conducted a hazardous fire show without any firefighting equipment or a mandatory fire audit. The document lists severe safety violations and directly names prime accused Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, who allegedly ran the Arpora nightclub despite multiple regulatory breaches. The brothers fled to Thailand just hours after the blaze that killed 25 people.
In a parallel action, the Goa Tourism Department on Tuesday demolished Romeo Lane, an illegally built beach shack in Vagator linked to the Luthras, as police arrested more staffers and widened the probe to include officials who cleared the project.
Key Developments
Fire Show Held Without Any Safety Measures
The FIR reveals that the nightclub hosted a high-risk fire performance without even basic firefighting infrastructure. There were no extinguishers, sprinklers, alarms, or smoke-extraction systems. Investigators also found that no fire audit had been conducted before operations began.
Police Seek Cancellation of Luthra Brothers’ Passports
Prime accused Gaurav Luthra (44) and Saurabh Luthra (40) fled to Thailand soon after the incident. Goa Police have asked the Regional Passport Office to immediately cancel their passports to stop further movement and aid their arrest.
Interpol Blue Corner Notice Issued
Goa DGP confirmed that Interpol issued a Blue Corner Notice against both brothers within two days—an unusually fast turnaround—reflecting strong coordination between state police and central agencies.
Illegal ‘Romeo Lane’ Shack Demolished
The Goa Tourism Department razed the illegally constructed Romeo Lane beach shack in Vagator. Built largely with wooden structures on government land, the 198 sq. m establishment was demolished in under two hours using heavy machinery following orders from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Look Out Circular Issued for Co-owners
Authorities have also issued Look Out Circulars (LOCs) for co-owners Ajay Gupta of Gurugram and Surinder Kumar Khosla, a UK national, preventing them from leaving the country. The move comes after the Luthra brothers slipped out of India.
Five Staffers Arrested; One Detained in Delhi
Police have arrested five senior staff members of the nightclub—Corporate GM Rajiv Modak (49), GM Vivek Singh (27), Bar Manager Rajiv (Rajveer) Singhania (32), Gate Manager Riyanshu Thakur (32), and another employee.
Additionally, Bharat Kohli was detained in Delhi and brought to Goa for questioning. All five arrested staffers have been remanded to six days’ police custody.
Forensic Report Confirms Toxic Fumes Caused Most Deaths
Forensic analysis shows that 19 of the 25 victims died due to inhalation of toxic gases. Two victims died from burns combined with gas inhalation. Identification of four Nepali nationals is still underway.
Among the deceased were 20 club employees, four tourists from Delhi and one from Karnataka.
Probe Reaches Government Officials
Former Director of Panchayats Siddhi Halarnkar and ex-Goa Pollution Control Board Member Secretary Shamila Monteiro have been summoned. Police have also questioned Arpora-Nagao Sarpanch Roshan Redkar and seized all documents related to Survey No. 150/0 from the Panchayat.
Joint Enforcement & Monitoring Committee Formed
The Goa government has set up a new multi-department committee to carry out random inspections at nightlife and hospitality establishments. Members include a Senior Scale GCS officer (Chair), Police Inspector, Station Fire Officer, and engineers from PWD and the Electricity Department.
The team will check firefighting equipment, fire NOCs, emergency exits, electrical safety, structural stability, sound norms and crowd-control systems, submitting monthly reports to District Magistrates.
High-level Panel to Draft New SOPs
A second high-level committee headed by IAS officer Sandip Jacques has been tasked with drafting new safety rules for nightlife and tourism venues. The panel will review approval systems, fire NOC procedures, evacuation planning, essential infrastructure, and penalties for violations. Its report is expected within a month.
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