Goa blaze a 'man-made tragedy'; FIR flags no fire safety equipment, no emergency exit, no licences

Police in Goa have filed a case of culpable homicide against the owners and management of a nightclub where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives on Saturday night. The blaze erupted at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, North Goa, and among the dead were four tourists. The FIR, registered at Anjuna police station on the basis of a complaint by Sub-Inspector Navneet Goltekar, names the chairman of Romeo Lane, Saurabh Luthra, his brother Gaurav Luthra, along with unidentified partners, the club manager, event organisers, and other senior staff members. According to the complaint, the accused—responsible for running and overseeing operations at the club—allegedly failed to ensure basic fire safety measures and went ahead with a fire performance despite being aware of the risks. The FIR states that the lack of adequate equipment, safety protocols, and precautions resulted in the inferno that killed 25 people and left several tourists and employees injured. The report further notes that the establishment did not have emergency exits on either the ground floor or the deck area, making evacuation nearly impossible once the fire spread. Investigators also found that the club was functioning without mandatory permissions and licences from relevant authorities. The FIR has been registered under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 125 (endangering life or personal safety), 125(a), 125(b), and 287 (negligent handling of fire or combustible materials) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with section 3(5) pertaining to common intention.