A fire during a fire show at Goa's Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub on December 7 killed 25 people. Owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled to Thailand hours after the blaze, while co-owner Ajay Gupta was detained in Delhi. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered action against illegal clubs.
On December 7, 2025, a massive fire broke out during a fire show at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub on Goa's Arpora beach, claiming 25 lives. According to the police FIR, the club lacked fire extinguishers, sprinklers, emergency alarms, or smoke extraction systems, and no fire audit had been conducted before its opening.
Owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra fled to Phuket, Thailand, via an IndiGo flight from Delhi just hours after the incident. Goa Police have written to the Regional Passport Office to cancel their passports. Lookout circulars were issued against other owners, including Ajay Gupta from Gurugram and British citizen Surinder Kumar Khosla. Gupta, who had gone missing, was detained in Delhi on December 9.
Following the blaze, police arrested chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur, and employee Bharat Kohli. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant described the event as a serious administrative and moral lapse, directing strict action against all illegal clubs, bars, and entertainment venues. He stated, 'No compromise will be made with Goa's safety and reputation.'
Under Sawant's orders, the Luthra brothers' illegal beach shack Romeo Lane in Vagator was demolished; it was a 198-square-meter wooden structure on government land, razed in two hours. The Goa government formed a new committee for random inspections of nightclubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, beach shacks, and event venues. Comprising a GCS officer, police inspector, fire officer, PWD and electricity department engineers, it will check fire certificates, equipment, emergency exits, wiring, occupancy, and sound norms, submitting monthly reports to the District Magistrate. A second committee has been set up to improve licensing and safety regulations.
