log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline TUESDAY DECEMBER 9, 2025 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 172 BJP goes all out for three Zilla seats in Salcete 2 GOA Corlim comunidade backs govt scheme to regularise illegal homes 5 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 10 INFO Make these changes to your beauty routine and see the difference Beyond Birch: Illegal clubs shielded by power, silence NIGHTCLUBS FROM CANDOLIM & CALANGUTE TO ANJUNA, VAGATOR & MORJIM OPERATE WITHOUT MANDATORY NOD AGNELO PEREIRA THE GOAN I MAPUSA The massive fire at Birch By Romeo Lane in Arpora, which killed 25 people and exposed blatant violations of safety and licensing norms, has once again brought into focus a long-running, troubling pattern along North Goa’s coastal belt. Several nightclubs, restaurants and commercial establishments from Candolim and Calangute to Anjuna, Vagator and Morjim have repeatedly operated without mandatory permissions, defied High Court directions and continued business with impunity. For years, complaints by residents and activists have highlighted how many hotspots in these areas run without proper NOCs from the fire department, excise licences, food safety permissions, tourism licences, sound permissions, or occupancy certificates, yet continue full-scale commercial operations. IN SHORT >> Kerala man wanted in `11 cr drug case held PANAJI: The Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) arrested an absconding accused wanted in a high-value drug case involving liquid LSD valued at over Rs 11 crore. The accused, identified as Vineesh Y K, a resident of Siolim and native of Kerala, was wanted in the NDPS cases that pertained to the seizure of 110.70 grams of liquid LSD, estimated to be worth Rs 11.07 crore. A Look Out Circular was also issued against him after which the Bureau of Immigration detained him on December 7 at Bangalore Airport. Cuncolim local dies in wild boar attack PANAJI: A resident of Bendurde, Cuncolim, died after being attacked by a wild boar while working in a cashew plantation. He had gone into the forested area to clear the plantation when the boar suddenly charged at him, injuring him seriously. He was shifted to the Balli health center, where he was declared brought dead. WEATHER >> Max: 33.2 C Min: 22.4 C Humidity: 80% „„Nightclubs, restaurants „„Many hotspots function and commercial outlets without fire NOCs, excise continue operations licences, food safety despite lacking clearances or permissions tourism permits THROWING „„Sound „„EstablishCAUTION TO permissions ments openly THE WIND and occupancy defy High Court directions and certificates are face no immediate routinely ignored consequences „„Businesses continue „„Years of complaints by full-scale operations locals and activists highdespite clear legal and light persistent violations safety risks Pattern of violations Among the establishments that have frequently come under official action in the past for alleged violations are nightclubs and beach-belt restaurants in Candolim, Calangute, Baga, Vagator, Anjuna and Morjim. These include clubs that were booked for exceeding permitted sound levels, sealed for lack of fire clearance, warned for structural violations, or inspected for running bars without updated licences. Some of them reopened within days, reportedly without addressing the issues. Residents argue that this revolving-door pattern is not accidental. “You cannot run a 1,000-capacity nightclub without fire NOCs, excise permissions or building approvals unless someone in authority is actively protecting you,” said Premanand Diukar, ‘Authorities hand in glove’ Activists allege a nexus between business owners, panchayat officials and political leaders that allows illegal establishments to flourish. In Vagator-Anjuna, where several clubs have faced repeated action in the past for alleged illegal construction, violation of CRZ norms or lack of trade licences, residents claim that enforcement is merely “cosmetic”. “You shut them for one weekend and open them by Monday. When illegal businesses survive for years, it is never by accident. It is because someone powerful wants them to survive,” said Jawish Moniz, a resident of Vagator who has been actively canvassing against illegalities. founder president of Calangute Constituency Forum who has taken up several illegal issues in the High Court. Following the Arpora tragedy, scrutiny has again fallen on the Romeo Lane nightclub in Vagator, promoted by same individuals linked to the Arpora establishment. The club has been booked by authorities multiple times in the past for violations ranging from sound norms to li- cence-related irregularities. Yet it continues to operate season after season. Romeo Lane is not alone. Enforcement data and local monitoring groups show a pattern of brazen illegality across multiple hotspots. HC orders ignored In multiple orders over the last decade, the Bombay High >Continued on P7 SPORTS Gill, Hardik return as India begins T20I WC build-up against South Africa Club owners fled to Phuket hours after tragedy: Police Seek Interpol help to detain suspects THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI/MAPUSA Goa Police on Monday said that Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives, fled to Phuket within hours of the incident and are now absconding. Officials asserted that the duo are not cooperating, which was evident through this act and they fled even before police reached Delhi to nab them. In the update shared with media, police said they despatched a team to Delhi soon after an FIR was registered in the case and raids were conducted at the Delhi residences of the two brothers, but they were not found. "Since they were not available, a notice under appropriate sections of law was pasted on their house,” the press note stated. By the evening of December 7, a Look Out Circular was issued against both men by the Bureau of Immigration at the request of Goa Police. Subsequent checks with immigration authorities in Mumbai showed that the accused had boarded the 6E 1073 flight to Phuket at 5.30 am on December 7 -- barely LUTHRA BROTHERS’ VANISHING ACT „„Soon after the tragedy, police registered an FIR and immediately sent a team to Delhi to trace Luthra brothers „„Raids were carried out at their Delhi residences, but the brothers were not found „„Police pasted a notice on their house „„A Look Out Circular was issued against both „„Immigration checks revealed that they had already boarded flight 6E 1073 from Mumbai to Phuket at 5:30 am on December 7 hours after the massive fire broke out around midnight. “It shows their intent to avoid investigation,” police said, adding that coordination with the Interpol Division of the CBI has been initiated to secure their detention abroad. Meanwhile, the investigation into the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire intensified on Monday with police making a fifth arrest in the case. The latest accused, Bharat Karan Singh Kohli (49) of Delhi, was taken into custody for allegedly overseeing the club’s day-to-day operations on behalf of the owners. A senior police officer con- DESPITE BEING IN THE FOREFRONT… Fire Dept lacks power to Anguish at GMC as families claim bodies of loved ones penalise norm violators Post-mortem procedures of 6 victims AUTHORITY RESTRICTED SOLELY TO ISSUING NOTICES VIBHA VERMA THE GOAN I PANAJI Firefighters have been repeatedly called to blaze sites, entering smoke-filled rooms, climbing burning stairwells and unstable structures while at considerable risk to their own lives. Yet, in Goa, the same Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) has remained powerless to seal establishments or penalize the concerned person for openly flouting mandatory fire safety norms. The debate has once again resurfaced after the devastating fire at Birch by Romeo Lane that killed 25 followed by Kala Academy on back-to-back days. The fire at Kala Academy on Monday occurred at a time when preparations were underway for the upcoming Serendipity Arts Festival event as fire extinguishers were available. DFES official said it was the PANAJI: The Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services draft Model Goa Fire and Emergency Services Bill to replace the three-decade-old Goa, Daman and Diu Fire Force Act, 1986 has been caught in red tape since 2019. Sources said the draft legislation has been submitted to the State government and is still pending consideration. Arpora blaze aftermath: Wedding, party venues come under scanner >> See pg 3 responsibility of the organiser’s fire safety officer to ensure that all necessary precautions were in place. The department would issue recommendations to the Serendipity organisers once again. DFES records further showed that the Birch nightclub did not possess a valid No Objection Certificate pending as authorities await consent SHWETA KAMAT MAHATME THE GOAN I PANAJI BILL CAUGHT IN RED TAPE (NOC), pointing to non-compliance with basic fire safety norms. “As per departmental records, the establishment had not obtained a valid NOC from the Fire Department, indicating non-compliance with mandatory fire safety regulations,” an official said. However, despite being the primary agency responsible for fire prevention and for responding to such incidents, it has no statutory authority to impose penalties or seal >Continued on P7 A pall of grief and disbelief hung heavy outside the Goa Medical College (GMC) mortuary on Monday as families received the bodies of 19 victims of the catastrophic Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire. The inferno, which killed 25 people, has devastated families—many of whom had sent their young sons to Goa in search of stable incomes and a better life. From early morning, a row of ambulances waited outside the mortuary, while relatives—some arriving after exhausting overnight travel from distant States—stood silently with paperwork in hand, preparing themselves for the painful task of identification. For several victims who had no immediate family in Goa, it was friends and co-workers who stepped forward, forming a support 13 Family members carry the mortal remains of their beloved outside the GMC on Monday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar ON PAGE 3 Final rites of 3 bodies performed in Jharkhand system in their final journey home. Hospital authorities confirmed that the remains of many victims were flown or transported to their native States, including Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Jharkhand. Among the first to be taken home were two brothers from Jharkhand—Pradeep Mahto and Binod Mahto, migrant workers from Fatehpur village in Lapung, >Continued on P7 firmed that a team has already been dispatched to Delhi. “Officials involved in issuing permits and licences to the club have also been summoned to verify compliance lapses and procedural violations,” the officer said, indicating that the scope of the investigation now extends to possible regulatory failures. Earlier, a Mapusa court remanded the four senior managers, arrested on Sunday, to six days of police custody. Police are examining the club’s practices, structural modifications, safety compliance and licensing history. Constable dies on duty at Vasco police station THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO A 39-year-old senior constable, Gaurish Satardekar of Headland Sada, died while on duty at the Vasco police station on Monday morning, leaving colleagues and family in deep shock. Satardekar, attached to the SB Branch, had reported to duty as usual and was interacting with staff moments before he suddenly began to feel unwell. According to sources, Satardekar stepped out for a routine walk around the police station and appeared to experience discomfort soon after. He proceeded towards the barracks on the top floor and phoned his colleagues, informing them that he was feeling uneasy. When staff rushed to check on him, they found him sweating profusely and struggling with the sudden bout of uneasiness. They immediately alerted the 108 ambulance service and shifted him to the Chicalim Sub>Continued on P7 Serendipity stage erupts in Opposition alliance dream ends as RGP walks out CO N GR ESS - GF P M AT H flames during set up at KA THE GOAN I NETWORK T THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Barely 24 hours after the Birch by Romeo Lane inferno claimed 25 lives, Goa witnessed yet another fire scare on Monday — this time at the Serendipity Arts Festival venue at Kala Academy. No casualties were reported, but the incident has once again raised serious questions over fire safety compliance at festival sites. The fire broke out during welding work on a set being erected outside the complex. PANAJI he much-talked-about “grand alliance” involving the Congress, the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections has collapsed, just a day before the nomination deadline. With the RGP declaring that it will contest the elections on its own, weeks of negotiations have now formally come to an end. The decision has forced the Congress and GFP to recalibrate their electoral approach as the nomination window nears closure. According to party sources, GFP is expected STAGE BLAZE: A fire breaks out on a stage that was being constructed for the Serendipity Festival during welding work at the Kala Academy on Monday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Fire fighters at the site said the blaze erupted at a height of around four metres and spread quickly due to flammable materials used for the temporary structure. >Continued on P7 „„GFP is likely to contest 8 constituencies, while Congress will field candidates in 42 under the alliance „„Congress has already to field candidates in eight constituencies, while Congress will put up nominees in 42 seats under their bilateral alliance. The Congress has already finalised and announced candidates for 22 constituencies. GPCC Senior Vice President M K Shaikh confirmed the finalised and announced candidates for 22 constituencies „„GFP has officially filed its nomination for the Cumbharjua seat development on Monday, revealing that the RGP had turned down the Congress’ revised proposal. “Discussions were ongoing, and we had submitted a counter-proposal to the RGP that extended beyond mere seat-sharing. However, after internal consultations, the RGP leadership conveyed that they would not proceed with the alliance,” Shaikh told reporters. He added that the message was communicated over a phone call on Sunday afternoon by the RGP chief, who made it clear that the party did not accept the Congress’ terms. With RGP walking out, Congress will now move ahead solely with GFP, with whom the seat-sharing arrangement has already been ironed out. On Monday, the GFP officially filed its nomination for the Cumbharjua ZP seat. The Congress has announced its Zilla Panchayat candidates for 22 constituen- cies so far. In North Goa, its nominees are contesting from Aldona, Penha-de-France, St Cruz, Honda, Calangute, Socorro, Reis Magos, Taleigao, Chimbel, Pale and Querim. In South Goa, the party is contesting from Curti, Guirodlim, Xeldem, Barcem, Cola, Sancoale, Cortalim, Usgao-Ganje, Velim, Curtorim and Sanvordem. The ZP Polls are scheduled on December 20 while counting will take place on December 22. Meanwhile, GPCC president Amit Patkar announced that a joint press conference with alliance partners will be held on Tuesday, after filing all remaining nominations.