Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: A Public Interest Litigation has been filed before the High Court seeking the formation of a court-supervised Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an in-depth probe into the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire.
The petition calls for an investigation into alleged illegal construction, licensing violations, and lapses by government authorities. It also requests a statewide fire-safety audit of all nightclubs and similar commercial establishments. The High Court is scheduled to hear the plea on December 16.
According to police, the blaze erupted shortly after midnight at Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular coastal nightclub located at Baga. The fire is suspected to have been triggered by a cylinder explosion, prompting the deployment of multiple fire tenders. Firefighters and emergency personnel continued rescue operations well into the early hours of Sunday.
Officials indicated that most of the victims were club employees, though tourists were also among the casualties. Senior police officers — including the Director General of Police — along with teams from North Goa rushed to the scene as the scale of the disaster became evident.
The tragedy claimed 25 lives, including 20 staff members and five tourists, making it one of the worst fire incidents recorded in the state.
In the immediate aftermath, the government suspended three senior officials for their alleged role in clearing the nightclub for operations in 2023. Those placed under suspension include Siddhi Tushar Harlankar (then Director of Panchayats), Dr. Shamila Monteiro (then Member Secretary, Goa State Pollution Control Board), and Raghuvir Bagkar (then Secretary, Arpora-Nagoa Village Panchayat). Officials said the trio had issued permissions that enabled the club to begin functioning despite regulatory concerns.
The PIL now seeks judicial oversight to ensure accountability and a thorough probe into the circumstances that led to the devastating incident.
