Goa Nightclub Fire: Vagator Beach Shack, Third Property Owned By Fugitive Luthra Brothers, Bulldozed On CM's Order

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Goa government on Tuesday started demolishing the illegal 'Romeo Lane' beach shack situated at Vagator, owned by the fugitive Luthra brothers, owners of the fire-ravaged nightclub.

A senior official from the chief minister's office indicated that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has issued a direct instruction to the North Goa district administration to proceed with dismantling the Vagator beach shack, as reported by news agency PTI.

"This shack is illegally built on government land. It would be demolished on Tuesday. The district administration has kept all the machinery ready," the official said.

Also Read | Goa nightclub owners fled to Thailand by IndiGo flight, say police

This beach shack is the third property owned by Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra to face action, following the devastating fire that claimed 25 lives at their 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Arpora late Saturday night.

The owners reportedly fled the country, travelling to Thailand just hours after the fatal blaze.

In response to the situation, the Goa chief minister's office said that Interpol has issued a Blue Corner notice against both Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra.

Since the Saturday night tragedy, the district administration had already sealed this facility, alongside a separate establishment in Assagao, on Monday.

Also Read | What are pyro guns that sparked fire at Goa's Birch nightclub?

'Birch by Romeo Lane', a popular party venue in Arpora village in North Goa, turned into a death trap on 7 December as a massive fire tore through the premises, killing 25 people, most of them staff and a few tourists.

PIL seeks court-monitored probe

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been lodged with the Bombay High Court's Goa bench, demanding a court-monitored investigation into the devastating fire at the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub.

The petition, submitted by social activist Aishwarya Salgaonkar, asserts that the nightclub was operating without requisite construction permits and had continually flouted several demolition orders issued against it.

The plea strongly suggests a "systematic failure" on the part of regulatory authorities to take decisive action against the establishment.

The matter was brought before a division bench comprising Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan on Tuesday, with the petitioner requesting an immediate hearing.

The court subsequently agreed to list the case for deliberation on 16 December.

Citing remarks by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the petition highlighted that the nightclub failed to adhere to crucial fire safety standards. It pointed out that congested entry and exit points, coupled with inadequate ventilation, were the primary reasons most victims succumbed to suffocation.

"This shows a shocking failure of municipal, panchayat and district authorities to enforce even the most basic statutory requirements intended to protect public life," the PIL said.

The plea stresses a broader failure to enforce compliance against illegal structures and clubs operating without mandatory licences and fire-safety certifications.

To address these serious issues, the petition requests the high court to establish two entities: a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the fire, and a judicial commission, led by a retired high court judge, to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the catastrophe.

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