A magisterial investigation into the devastating fire at Birch nightclub in Arpora, Goa, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, has uncovered a web of administrative collusion, forged documents, and blatant illegalities. The report, reviewed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday, pins responsibility on local panchayat officials and multiple state departments for the tragedy.
Panchayat Collusion and Lapsed Licence
The inquiry found that the Arpora-Nagao panchayat issued a trade licence to 'Being GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP' on December 16, 2023, for running Birch as a bar, restaurant, and nightclub. This licence expired on March 31, 2024, and was never renewed. Despite this, the establishment continued to operate illegally.
Most damningly, the panchayat secretary failed to seal the property even after a demolition order was issued against the structure. The report states that the secretary and the sarpanch, Roshan Redkar, admitted to this lapse, which "establishes their collusion with the owners" in keeping the business running illegally, violating conduct rules. The panchayat also did not inform other departments to cancel the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and permissions issued to Birch.
Forgery and Faulty Procedures
The probe revealed that the application submitted by Birch for its trade licence showed "visible signs of forgery." Details were written "in a different ink and in free space in the documents at a later time." Furthermore, the committee discovered a house number (H No 502/1-RT8) was purposefully created without following due procedures and was not found at the site during a field visit.
The report criticizes Sarpanch Roshan Redkar for shirking responsibility, as he stated it was the secretary's duty to check documents. The local police also came under fire for closing multiple noise pollution complaints against the nightclub with the generic report that "nothing was found on spot."
Illegal Constructions on Ecologically Sensitive Land
The inquiry extended its scrutiny to the adjoining Maizon Lake View Resort, owned by Surinder Khosla. It found that the panchayat issued trade licences for 13 shop structures built illegally on a salt pan, paddy field, and near a sluice gate, as per revenue records.
These structures had no construction licence or occupancy certificate. The illegal construction dates back to 1996-98 by previous owners, with no effort made to convert the land from agricultural to non-agricultural use. The report explicitly states that erecting a structure in the middle of a salt pan or water body is not permissible under any law, including the Land Revenue Code and Coastal Zone Regulations.
Consequently, the magisterial report concludes that all structures on survey numbers 158/0 and 159/0 in Arpora, Bardez taluka, are illegal ab initio (from the beginning). The findings point to systemic failures across panchayat and state departments, where NOCs were issued without verification, allowing an illegal and deadly operation to flourish.
