A damning magisterial inquiry report has laid bare a series of grave lapses and alleged collusion that preceded the devastating fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa's Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6. The report squarely points fingers at the local village panchayat for failing in its statutory duties and allegedly conspiring with the property owners to keep the establishment running illegally.
Systemic Failure and Alleged Collusion by Panchayat
The inquiry committee found that the Arpora-Nagao village panchayat "colluded" with the owners of the property, permitting the club to operate without a valid trade licence. The establishment licence was issued on December 16, 2023, and expired on March 31, 2024. Despite the expiry, the panchayat took no action to renew it, seal the property, or halt operations.
The report states the panchayat "failed in its statutory duty" by not intimating other departments to cancel the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and approvals granted to the property. It highlighted that Section 72-A of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act provides for sealing premises operating without a licence, a power the panchayat neglected to use, thereby allowing the illegality to continue.
Citing statements from Sarpanch Roshan V Redkar and then Panchayat Secretary Raghuvir Bagkar, the probe established their "collusion with the owners" in keeping the restaurant running illegally. It flagged that the trade licence in December 2023 was issued within five days in a hasty manner, without insisting on required documents or following due procedure.
Illegal Construction on Salt Pan and Forged Documents
The committee traced the roots of the tragedy back to illegal constructions erected in 1998-1999 by Sunil Divkar and Pradeep Amonkar, who purchased the property named 'Condonicho/Cordinicho Agor' in 1995. The report identifies them as "the prime culprits."
It revealed that the hexagonal club structure was built in the middle of a salt pan or water body, which is not permissible under any prevailing law, including the Land Revenue Code and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules. No process was ever initiated to convert the land use from agricultural to non-agricultural.
Furthermore, the inquiry found that the panchayat issued house numbers and trade licences to these illegal structures, knowing they were recent constructions on a salt pan. The committee also noted that the application for Birch's trade licence "have visible signs of forgery," with certain entries written in different ink at a later time, indicating malicious intent.
Enforcement Lapses and Government Action
The report criticized multiple government departments for enforcement failures. It noted that several complaints regarding noise pollution and parking from the establishment were closed with remarks of "nothing found on the spot," and directions from the Bombay High Court at Goa for prompt inspections and night patrolling were not complied with.
In response to the findings, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's office took a "stern view" and recommended disciplinary action. The Directorate of Panchayats subsequently dismissed then Panchayat Secretary Raghuvir Bagkar from service for "dereliction of duty, gross negligence and deliberate ignorance." Action is also contemplated against the sarpanch.
The Chief Minister's Office statement outlined further steps:
- An inquiry into the alteration of the water body's status in the Goa Coastal Zone Management Plan.
- Suspension and disciplinary proceedings against Goa State Pollution Control Board officials who recommended NOCs based on misleading facts.
- Show-cause notices to officers of the Fire and Emergency Services, Police, Excise, Electricity, Food & Drugs Administration, Commercial Tax, and Tourism departments for lapses in verification and monitoring.
The magisterial probe, submitted on January 1, 2026, underscores a catastrophic breakdown of governance and regulatory oversight, where illegalities were systematically overlooked, culminating in one of Goa's deadliest fire tragedies.
