The Bombay High Court has postponed the crucial anticipatory bail hearings for two officials from the Arpora-Nagoa panchayat, linked to the devastating fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane club in Goa. The tragic incident claimed the lives of 25 people. The court has set the next hearing for the coming week.
Court Proceedings and Adjournments
On the recent hearing date, the bench decided to adjourn the pleas. The anticipatory bail application of the disqualified sarpanch, Roshan Redkar, has been pushed to Monday. Meanwhile, the plea filed by the dismissed secretary, Raghuvir Bhagkar, was adjourned to Friday. Both officials approached the higher court after a lower court in Goa rejected their initial bids for pre-arrest bail.
Lower Court's Stern Observations
The lower court's rejection was based on strong grounds. It emphasized that the custodial interrogation of the accused was essential to uncover their motive behind issuing a trade licence with undue haste. The court noted that proper procedures were blatantly ignored in granting the licence to the establishment, which was operating from an illegal construction.
Investigations have pointed to serious lapses. The court stated that there were glaring omissions and gross illegalities in the licence issuance process. Crucially, the trade licence was granted without obtaining mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from relevant departments. Most alarmingly, a vital fire safety NOC was missing.
Consequences of Procedural Failure
This failure in due diligence directly enabled the club's management to run illegal operations. The establishment functioned in gross violation of fundamental fire safety norms, ultimately leading to the catastrophic fire. The court's observations highlight a chain of administrative negligence that had fatal consequences, putting the role of local authorities under intense legal scrutiny.
The case continues to develop as the High Court prepares to hear the arguments for bail next week, keeping the focus firmly on accountability in the aftermath of the tragedy.
