As investigators carry out a probe to ascertain the cause of the deadly midnight fire at a nightclub in Goa — Birch by Romeo Lane — the club’s owner has come into spotlight, with preliminary findings revealing lapses in safety protocol. There are questions also about the construction of the club in the backwaters of the Arpora river, which is allegedly without permissions.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire at a nightclub which claimed 25 lives. CM Sawant said an FIR has been lodged against the owner and the general manager of the nightclub and they would be arrested, according to PTI news agency, which also later confirmed, citing police, that Luthra and his brother Gaurav, have been booked.
Sarpanch names ‘owner’ of Birch by Romeo Lane, Goa nightclub where fire broke out
The man who ran Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa — where the deadly fire broke out late Saturday night and claimed at least 25 lives — has been identified as Saurabh Luthra, according to the local panchayat head, as reported by HT earlier.
A LinkedIn account by the name Saurabh Luthra also mentions “chairman at Romeo Lane | Birch | Mama’s Buoi” in the bio.
Romeo Lane is a chain of popular upscale restaurants and bars located in multiple cities across India, including Delhi, and internationally as well.
Luthra has not yet reacted to the matter.
‘Gold medalist-turned-restaurateur’
Romeo Lane website describes Saurabh Luthra as ‘gold medalist engineer-turned into a promising and fastest-growing restaurateur’, who is known for his “splendid work in F&B industry”.
Romeo Lane is currently present and coming in 22 cities as well as four countries, as per the website, which says the Luthra is known for his public relations and organic cocktails served at his outlets.
Luthra has won several awards and has multiple recognitions to his credit for his restaurants/bar since 2016 till present, according to the website.
What caused Goa nightclub fire?
While the state police said the blaze occurred at the nightclub due to a cylinder blast after midnight on Sunday, some of the eyewitnesses claimed the fire started on the club’s first floor, where at least 100 tourists were on the dance floor.
Sarpanch of the Arpora village panchayat, Roshan Redkar, told HT: “This club is being run by Saurabh Luthra. There was a dispute between him and the land owners, as also a dispute between him and his business partners which had led to complaints against the establishment.”
Redkar further said the structure the club was operating from was built without a construction licence. “There were complaints against the club and when we conducted an inquiry we found that there was no construction licence. We had issued a demolition notice after following due process. However, the demolition notice was stayed upon appeal,” he told reporters on Sunday.
The nightclub had been operating on the borderlines of the law, constructed on what was once a saltpan, considered an eco-sensitive site. It also fell under the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, which bans construction in the intertidal zone, the report said.
The nightclub is located in the backwaters of the Arpora river, with a narrow entry and exit. There was no access for the fire brigades to the club because of the narrow lanes and their tankers had to be parked about 400 metres away from the spot, news agency PTI reported.
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