Goa

Goa club fire: Police initiate blue corner notice against absconding owner

Surinder Kumar Khosla is the owner of the property on which the unauthorised structure housing the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane was functioning

Goa Liberation Day 2025: History, significance and why December 19 matters

Goa was freed from Portuguese domination on December 19, 1961, and subsequently joined India. Notably, "Goa Liberation Day" commemorates the 451 years of Portuguese dominance in Goa

Goa nightclub fire: Co-owner Ajay Gupta files bail plea in Mapusa court

Ajay Gupta, one of the four co-owners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Goa, where 25 persons were killed in a fire earlier this month, on Thursday filed a bail application in a court in Mapusa town. Gupta was arrested in New Delhi by the Goa Police on December 10, following which a court in Mapusa remanded him in police custody for seven days. Twenty-five persons, including 20 staff members and five tourists, were killed in the major blaze at the nightclub at Arpora in North Goa around midnight of December 6. Gupta, who is currently in the custody of the Anjuna police, applied for bail before the District Judge in Mapusa. Senior lawyer Rohan Desai will represent him. The court is likely to hear the bail application later in the day, and notices will be issued to the state police seeking their response. So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case, including Gupta, and two other owners - Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh - who were deported from ...

Nightclub fire: Luthra brothers taken to Goa after court grants remand

The Luthra brothers were brought to Delhi earlier on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand, where they had allegedly fled following a deadly fire at their nightclub

Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers land in Delhi, to be presented in court

The Luthra brothers, who landed in the national capital today, will be produced before the Patiala House Court, and the officials will be seeking their transit remand, a media report suggested

Goa officials seal popular restaurant 'The Cape Goa' over safety violations

Authorities have sealed 'The Cape Goa', a prominent restaurant located on a cliff in South Goa district, for violation of fire and other safety norms, officials said on Tuesday. The Tourism Department had granted permission for one temporary private shack, but it was observed that the establishment was operating a full-fledged restaurant beyond the sanctioned plinth area, according to the sealing order issued on Monday. Continued operation of the premises without mandatory safety clearances poses an imminent, grave and real threat to human life and property, particularly in the event of fire, electrical short-circuit, structural failure, or any emergency requiring evacuation, it said. The action comes after a massive fire at a nightclub in Arporal, North Goa, on December 6 claimed 25 lives. Chairperson of the joint enforcement and monitoring committee, Canacona taluka, Maya Pednekar, on Monday issued the order to seal 'The Cape Goa', located on a cliff at Cabo de Rama Fort in Kuddi

ECI to release SIR draft rolls today: Here's how to check your name

India's voter rolls are undergoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to remove duplicate, fake, or ineligible names, including those of deceased or shifted voters

Goa nightclub fire: HC turns civil suit into PIL, seeks accountability

The Goa bench of Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane at Arpora, where a devastating fire on December 6 killed 25 persons, into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) observing "someone has to be held accountable in such kind of cases". The HC also asked the state government to file a reply on permissions granted to the ill-fated nightclub. The petition was filed by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, owners of the land on which the nightclub stood. Converting it into a PIL, the division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Prithviraj Chavan said "someone has to be held accountable in such kind of cases". It observed that the local panchayat had failed to take suo motu cognisance of the club and had taken no action despite complaints. Commercial operations were going in the structure despite it being served a demolition order, the HC bench pointed out. Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing Amonkar and Divkar, was made amicus .

Goa nightclub fire: Thai authorities to take steps in Luthra brothers' case

Thailand authorities are set to take up the case involving Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, the co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6, with a Bangkok court likely to decide the next course of action, sources here said. The Luthras, co-owners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub located in Arpora in North Goa, left for Phuket, Thailand, shortly after the fire incident. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice has been issued against them. The Luthra brothers were detained by Thai authorities in Phuket on December 11 following an intervention by the Indian mission, which is in close touch with the Thai government in the case. According to the sources in the Indian Embassy here, all relevant documents related to the two brothers have been transferred through official legal channels. Legal developments suggest the case is likely to be argued before a Bangkok court, they said. "The matter is expected to move forward once a local court in Bangkok begin

Goa cracks down on illegal nightclubs ahead of Christmas, New Year season

Goa's nightlife faces a crackdown ahead of the Christmas and New Year season, with the state government launching an intensive drive to inspect and seal the establishments flouting norms after a deadly nightclub fire claimed 25 lives. As the state, famous for its scenic beaches, gears up for its busiest fortnight spanning Christmas and New Year, the crackdown has already forced some nightclubs to shut, while the fate of others hangs in the balance. A team of personnel from the district administration, fire and emergency services and police have been inspecting all the nightclubs in the North Goa tourism belt, officials said on Sunday. The drive began after the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora in North Goa on December 6 left 25 persons dead. "We are inspecting all the nightclubs, checking their licences and permissions. Any club found to be violating the norms is sealed," government officer Kabir Shirgaonkar, who is heading the inspection team, told PTI. The

Goa nightclub fire: Probe committee questions landowner, sarpanch

A magisterial inquiry committee has questioned original landowner Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar in connection with the devastating fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa. Amonkar was summoned at 3.30 pm on Saturday and questioned till 10.30 pm, his lawyer Prasenjeet Dhage said, adding that the panel wanted to know "why this incident happened". "My client had a warrant of appearance before the committee," he said. "It was a very intensive and vigorous inquiry," the lawyer added. The Goa government has constituted a committee headed by district magistrate Ankit Yadav to inquire into the December 6 fire incident which claimed 25 lives. Arpora-Nagoa panchayat sarpanch Roshan Redkar told reporters that he answered the committee's questions. He has already obtained pre-arrest bail from a local court in connection with the case. The Goa police have arrested five managers and staff members of the club. Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co

55% Indians plan winter trips; Goa, Kerala lead demand, says report

Around 55 per cent of Indian travellers plan winter trips every year, and Goa and Kerala remain top choices for them during the travel season, according to an Airbnb report. Indians are travelling in winter not just for holidays, but also to unwind and relax, the report said. "This winter season, Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan and the Himalayan states dominate domestic travel interest on Airbnb, owing to their beaches, backwaters, heritage, winter weather and outdoor experiences," Airbnb Country Head, India and Southeast Asia, Amanpreet Bajaj said, quoting the report based on Airbnb internal data. He said 55 per cent of Indian travellers plan winter trips every year, signalling how winter has evolved as one of the country's favourite travel seasons for exploration and downtime, mainly fuelled by favourable cooler weather and scenic winter landscapes. Alongside these favourites, he said, there is also a strong momentum for emerging pockets such as Agatti in Lakshadweep, Guwahati, smaller ..

Goa nightclub fire: How the Luthra brothers fled India and were tracked down

A deadly fire at a Goa nightclub killed 25 people, and its owners fled India within hours. Their escape from an IndiGo flight to a Phuket hotel named Indigo didn’t last long.

From IndiGo to Indigo: How the escape plan of Luthra brothers collapsed

The incident left twenty-five people dead and six others injured during a musical event that had drawn nearly a hundred guests, many of them tourists

Goa nightclub fire incident exposes EPFO's compliance failure: Officers

EPFOA alleges that the nightclub's EPF-registered entity, M/s Being GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP, never deposited provident fund dues since its coverage

As AQI levels hit sky-high levels, urban Indians gravitate to getaway homes

Affluent Indians are increasingly buying second homes not as weekend getaways but as critical health guards as cities turn into gas chambers, thanks to ever-increasing air pollution levels

Goa nightclub fire: Co-owner Ajay Gupta sent to 7-day police custody

A court in Goa on Thursday sent Ajay Gupta, who claimed to be a silent partner and investor in the fire-ravaged Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, to police custody for seven days. Gupta was brought to Goa from Delhi on Wednesday night on a transit remand for questioning. He was taken to Anjuna police station for further investigation, an official had said. Twenty-five persons, including 20 staff members and five tourists, were killed in the major blaze at the facility in North Goa around midnight on December 6. Earlier, a Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against Gupta. Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire that broke out at the nightclub located in Arpora, 25 km from Panaji, around midnight on December 6. Brothers and co-owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who had left for Phuket in Thailand shortly after the fire incident, have been detained there, according to officials. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice had been

North Goa bans fireworks at nightbclubs, hotels, other tourist spots

Days after a fire at a nightclub in North Goa claimed 25 lives, the district administration has issued an order prohibiting the use of fireworks, sparklers and pyrotechnics inside tourist establishments. The North Goa district administration issued the order on Wednesday evening as a precautionary measure following the tragic fire incident which occurred at the nightclub in Arpora around midnight on December 6. "The order has been issued under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, prohibiting the use, bursting, ignition or operation of fireworks, sparklers, pyrotechnic effects, flame thrower-type devices, smoke generators and similar fire/smoke-producing equipment inside tourist establishments," a senior district administration official said. The prohibition applies to all nightclubs, bars and restaurants, hotels, guesthouses, resorts, beach shacks, temporary structures, event venues and entertainment establishments across North Goa, as per the order. A prelimina

Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers held in Thailand, deportation begins

Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, linked to Goa's Birch by Romeo Lane club, where a fire killed 25 people, have been detained in Thailand as India begins deportation efforts

Goa CM Pramod Sawant holds high-level meet after nightclub fire kills 25

In the wake of a nightclub fire that claimed 25 lives, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant held a high-level meeting on Wednesday with officials and tourism stakeholders to ensure strict safety measures ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Officials of the North and South Goa district administrations and police department were present in the meeting, which was also attended by state Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte. The meeting was held against the backdrop of the December 6 fire tragedy at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora in North Goa in which 25 persons were killed, according to sources. "The chief minister briefed (those present in the meeting) about various measures taken to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again in the state," a senior officer, privy to the meeting, told PTI. He said that the state government has issued various orders and also formed committees, including a high-level magisterial inquiry panel and a fire safety audit committee, after th