Goa fire tragedy: Flagged illegalities about nightclub for years, says landowner

Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, the original owner of the land on which Birch by Romeo Lane was located, on Tuesday said he had flagged illegalities about the nightclub, where a fire claimed the lives of 25 people, and has been fighting a relentless legal battle for 20 years.

Talking to PTI, Amonkar said he had purchased two plots of land in Arpora village in 1994 and signed an agreement for sale with Surinder Kumar Khosla in 2004, but it was withdrawn within six months as the latter failed to pay the money.

Kholsa went on to set up a nightclub on the land, and it was later taken over by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane.

Amonkar became a whistleblower against the club and filed a complaint against the establishment, along with Sunil Divkar, with the local Arpora-Nagoa panchayat regarding illegalities. The panchayat had issued a demolition notice to Khosla in 2024, which he challenged and got a stay from the Directorate of Panchayat.

“I have been fighting a battle for the last 20 years against Khosla, who has been involved in all kinds of illegalities in this property (land) I own,” he said.

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

Amonkar said that he had purchased plots measuring 31,000 square metres and 6,000 square metres in Arpora in 1994, and 10 years later, he signed an agreement for sale with Khosla.

But the agreement was withdrawn within six months, as Khosla failed to pay the money, he claimed.

Amonkar said that while his case against Khosla was pending in the lower court in Goa for the last 20 years, the latter continued his "illegal business" on his land.

He said that on December 20, 2023, he had filed a formal complaint with the local panchayat against the construction on his land.

Amonkar, in his complaint, mentioned that there was unauthorised construction of shops, restaurants and six structures and two platforms on alleged saltpans.

He said the panchayat conducted a site inspection on January 17, 2024, and a show-cause notice was issued to Khosla on February 15.

Amonkar showed the copy of the demolition order to PTI, and it stated that Khosla had failed to produce any documentary evidence proving the legality of the unauthorised structures.

However, Khosla managed to get a stay on the local panchayat's order by approaching the Directorate of Panchayat.

Amonkar alleged that Khosla was the main accused in the entire case. He has also taken to social media to provide clarity on the matter.

"The main accused is Khosla. I have been saying this for years, and I will continue to say it with the same clarity and conviction. He may flee the country," Amonkar wrote in a post.

Arpora Sarpanch Roshan Redkar had earlier said that they had attempted to demolish the structure in the past, but could not do so as the Directorate of Panchayat had issued a stay order.

The state authorities, on the other hand, have blamed the local panchayat for allowing the illegalities to continue.

The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Monday stated that the sarpanch had signed NOCs for electricity connection, water connection, house repairs and granted a trade licence, among other permissions to the establishment.

The nightclub continued to run even after its trade licence expired in March 2024. Under section 72-A of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, the local body is empowered to seal such premises. However, they failed to do so.