- 1 day ago
In this episode of Newstrack, the focus is on the horrific fire at 'Birch' by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa that claimed 25 lives on December 6.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shaquille.
00:04On December 6th, while 25 people were desperately fighting for their lives inside a nightclub in Goa,
00:11choking, scrambling, trapped in a blazing death trap,
00:16the owners of that pub were busy packing their bags,
00:20quietly slipping out the back door of responsibility.
00:24Just hours after firefighters finally brought the inferno under control,
00:30the Luthra brothers were comfortably seated on an Indigo flight to Phuket,
00:36leaving behind the smoke, the bodies and the questions they refused to face.
00:40And now as the news tightens, the Luthras are playing the victim card,
00:45seeking bail and shifting the blame onto ground managers.
00:50This is not just shameful, it's cowardice.
00:52And we at India Today will continue to demand accountability, justice and answers.
00:57First up, here's the story.
01:00A night of celebration turned into a nightmare in Goa.
01:1025 people never made it out.
01:13And as Goa moans, the owners of the nightclub are at the centre of this inferno.
01:18The hunt for the men behind Birch by Romeo Lane now stretches beyond India's borders.
01:25Brothers Gaurav and Saurav Luthra, owners of Birch, are now wanted men.
01:30With an Interpol Blue Corner notice issued,
01:33they are officially on the radar of international agencies.
01:37But instead of flying back to face investigators,
01:40the duo has moved a petition for anticipatory bail in a Delhi court.
01:44India Today has accessed the bail plea.
01:48In the petition, Luthras have alleged witch hunt in the case
01:52and claimed they had all the required documents to run the nightclub.
01:57The Luthras also argued that the brothers had gone to Thailand for work on December 6 itself
02:02and that they are unable to return as they are anticipating arrest in Delhi.
02:08The brothers alleged that vindictive nature was being shown by authorities against them.
02:13The plea says that Luthras and their partner were not involved in the day-to-day operations,
02:18which were managed by the on-ground restaurant managers.
02:23But the heat on them is rising.
02:26Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawan declared that the owners will be arrested soon.
02:31He assured strict action against those who flout rules across Goa.
02:35So far, six people have been arrested in the Arpora nightclub fire case,
02:41including Luthras' partner Ajay Gupta.
02:44Three government officials have been suspended.
02:46India Today confronted Ajay Gupta, who is the latest to be arrested.
03:11He claims to be only a sleeping partner with Luthras.
03:15I was the first to be arrested in the Luthras.
03:36The court has allowed transit remand of Ajay Gupta.
04:04However, GST documents accessed by India Today show Ajay Gupta registered as one of the partners with Luthara Brothers.
04:13As the rubble of birch lies cold and silent, families still wait for justice.
04:20This is no longer about licenses or paperwork.
04:23It's about responsibility.
04:25It's about accountability.
04:27With Divye Singh, Dipesh Tripathi and Himanshu Singh, Vera Report, India Today.
04:33Some piece of breaking news coming in now.
04:42Sources are telling India Today that the Ministry of External Affairs has received a communication from the government of Goa
04:48with regards to Gaurav Luthra and Saurav Luthra.
04:52It is examining the request to revoke the passports under the Passports Act of India as per the rules.
05:00Let me go straight to Geeta Mohan who is getting us this big piece of breaking news.
05:05Geeta, give us the details.
05:06Well, the effort initially was to locate, geolocate Saurav and Gaurav Luthra and after having done that,
05:14knowing that they're in Thailand, India-Thailand share very good relations, Mariah,
05:19and Thailand in the recent past has deported many a criminal and fugitive to India.
05:25And therefore, the pressure on Goa administration to ensure that not just the Bureau of Immigration,
05:32but also the Ministry of External Affairs are made aware of the fact that they're in Thailand
05:37and that they need to look into how to get them deported or sent repatriated to India.
05:43For now, it doesn't seem like the brothers are willing to or going to return.
05:48So, a request was sent by the authorities of Goa to the Ministry of External Affairs to revoke their passports
05:57because when that happens, deportation would be a normal process, it is part of protocol.
06:03And sources have told India today that they have received the communication from Goa government
06:09and right now they're reviewing and examining the request to revoke the passport.
06:14Geeta, thank you so much for joining us.
06:16So, let me go straight to Devesha Singh, who joins me from Goa, Anjuna in Goa, to be specific.
06:23And all these developments, remember, are coming on a day that the Luthra brothers actually moved
06:29an anticipatory bail plea in the court in Goa and they had alleged vindictive nature being shown by authorities against them.
06:40What does it actually mean? I mean, they are answerable to what has happened.
06:45They can't just blame it on the ground managers.
06:51Well, exactly.
06:52The role of Luthra brothers, like they were running this club.
06:56They were running this club, this nightclub where this tragedy struck 25 innocent people lost their lives
07:02because they were running it illegally on government land and that too without specific permits,
07:10without any fire safety precautions, without any trade licenses.
07:14And despite that, they are now claiming or they are now alleging that the Goa government is being vindictive towards them.
07:22What about the 25 innocent lives that were lost?
07:24Most of them were their staffers.
07:27They were working for the Luthra brothers and they died in that dead trap.
07:31In that trap that they had created or erected, they died in the basement.
07:3623 people after the 25 dead suffocated to death because there was no exit.
07:43Smoke, there was smoke in the basement and that led to their deaths.
07:48We spoke to some of the officials, some of the fire department officials also and they say that there were bodies lying one over another.
07:56So, that was the condition.
07:57Imagine the kind of pain, imagine the kind of suffering that the deceased had suffered before they died, before they suffocated to death.
08:06So, Luthra brothers are responsible and answerable.
08:10And they have to be, accountability has to be fixed.
08:14Remember, there has been four days on counting and accountability has to be fixed.
08:18And Luthra brothers are answerable.
08:21Really appreciate your time, Devesh.
08:22You'll continue to track the story very closely.
08:24Let me bring in the guests who are joining me now.
08:26Arvind Kumar Jain is a former DGP of Uttar Pradesh.
08:29We have Yatish Nayak, spokesperson of the BJP in Goa.
08:34Gaurav Bakshi is a citizen's right activist and someone who lives in Goa.
08:41So, thank you so much for joining us.
08:44Mr. Jain, since the reporter was highlighting the safety questions,
08:50are safety audits and licensing regulations for clubs in tourist hubs like Goa robust enough?
08:58Or is systemic reforms really needed, urgently needed?
09:06Systemic reforms are needed.
09:09There are no two opinions about it.
09:11But there are already enough safety checks.
09:15You have to obtain NOC from fire department, from tourism department.
09:21I was shocked to hear one tourist officer saying that Romeo Cafe,
09:26which has been demolished now, was constructed on the land of the Goa Tourism Department.
09:33And he was feeling, he was acting absolutely helpless.
09:37He was saying that once we demolish it, they again construct it on government land.
09:42So, I don't know what is going on at Goa.
09:45So, I think audit has to be done of all the hotels, of all such cafes which are being run on seacoast.
09:54And it should be done as early as possible.
09:57Mumbai High Court has also taken up a PIL, and they are also going to pass orders.
10:02I hope they pass orders that there should be a court-monitored investigation in this case,
10:08because it is required.
10:10All possible violations were there.
10:12Same entry point, same exit point, very narrow point.
10:16And bamboos were there all over the place.
10:19So, it was an inferno.
10:24And naturally, so many lives were lost.
10:27People couldn't run away from that place.
10:29And it was constructed on saltpan area, which is not permissible in Goa.
10:37So, there was demolition order from High Court that the bar should be demolished.
10:44But the government didn't demolish it.
10:46They just demolished a part of it and left the entire thing.
10:51So, there is collusion.
10:52And I'm told that Anjana police and crime branch, they wanted to take action.
10:56But some retired and serving IPS and IES officers of Goa, they didn't allow them to take action.
11:03Okay, perhaps Yatish Nayak will be able to answer that, you know.
11:06Because Goa is a major tourist hub, yet clubs operate without proper permissions and safety licenses.
11:13That's the truth as well.
11:15So, can the government, or should I say, does the government also bear responsibility for such lapses?
11:21You know, first of all, this particular unfortunate incident that has happened is very condemnable.
11:29You see, there is a set rule of law.
11:33There are rules, procedures, regulations, all of it in place.
11:37But however, I do not know how this particular club was doing such business.
11:42And that's exactly the reason why Honourable Chief Minister, when this unfortunate incident has happened,
11:46Honourable Chief Minister and the government has instituted a magistral inquiry.
11:49And if you see the terms of reference of that inquiry, it is to go to the bottom of it,
11:57go and unearth the root of the whole issue and fix accountability.
12:02So, it takes a tragedy for the government to wake up?
12:08See, first of all, this particular, how this business was going on,
12:13how, who connived, who has turned a blind eye, how this was happening.
12:19This whole thing has to be unearthed.
12:21Because Honourable Chief Minister and the government is very firm,
12:23that this kind of an illegality cannot be tolerated, cannot be permitted.
12:28And there is a procedure in place.
12:30There is a state pollution control board in place.
12:32There are multiple authorities.
12:34But, however, in spite of all that, how is it that this particular thing,
12:38this particular business was going on in this illegal fashion?
12:41See, another thing that I need to mention to you,
12:44this particular place was also subjected to a nice pollution,
12:50FIR, in 2024, August.
12:53It has been chart-sheeted.
12:55The matter has been chart-sheeted.
12:57The other that Romeo Lane, whatever, has been demolished.
12:59It was demolished earlier also.
13:00And how did it come up again?
13:03They have gone ahead and built it over again.
13:05Yes.
13:06So, there is...
13:06So, now it has been demolished again.
13:08So, though government had demolished it,
13:10though government had demolished it,
13:11these people went ahead and constructed over it again.
13:14So, let me ask that question to a citizen,
13:16who is running a group.
13:19So, you can understand...
13:20So, no...
13:22One second, if I may only be permitted to conclude.
13:24Yes, but Yathir ji, the question is also,
13:27that you understand the lapses.
13:29You understand the lapses and yet no action has been taken.
13:32The government had a full magistral inquiry.
13:33Let the whole thing come out.
13:35Okay, so let the whole thing come out, but what about...
13:38And let accountability be fixed.
13:40Okay, so, but the accountability has to be fixed
13:43also within the government.
13:46Because these are some high-profile individuals
13:49who are being brazen
13:51and they are accusing your government in Goa
13:54of being vindictive.
13:56So, Gaurav Bakshi,
13:58how transparent and accountable
14:00has the law enforcement been in Goa?
14:02There is no such thing as transparency in Goa, Maria.
14:07There is no such thing as accountability in Goa.
14:10Let me give a little explanation on this.
14:11This is a complete hogwash that Mr. Nayak
14:13is trying to protect and defend the BJP,
14:15which is ironic and unfortunate
14:17when Indian citizens have been burnt alive
14:19because of the government's deliberate creation
14:25of, by design, an environment
14:28where they only want illegalities to flourish,
14:32to crime to flourish,
14:33the drug mafia to flourish.
14:35And by that, let me give you facts.
14:3710,000 plus illegal structures exist across Goa
14:40that have been already noted and identified,
14:44who have applied for regularization,
14:45bulk of which were never regularized.
14:47These are official applications.
14:49Imagine the number of illegal structures
14:50that exist otherwise
14:51could be anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 illegal structures.
14:54The government has legally permitted illegal structures
14:58to be able to obtain operating licenses
15:02to run commercial businesses.
15:03I run a legal startup and we actually do this.
15:05We know exactly how it works.
15:07So the government has made it optional.
15:09When you want to run a club in an illegal structure,
15:11they say, okay, we'll keep it optional.
15:13You don't need to have a legal structure.
15:15This is a disastrous policy of the government itself,
15:19which the high court saw
15:20and pulled them up last year
15:22when they realized that there was rampant illegal structures
15:26and construction across Goa.
15:28It's splattered across the entire state.
15:30What I'm coming to is illegality,
15:33illegal structures,
15:34clubs and businesses
15:36and all kinds of commercial activities happening
15:40is the norm.
15:41This is not an exception.
15:43This is not an accident.
15:44Yatish Nayak,
15:47if this is what the citizens feel,
15:49then your government doesn't have
15:52strict enforcement of licensing and safety norms
15:55to prevent...
15:56Maria, I have one more quick point here.
15:57Yes, please, quickly.
15:58Michael Lobo, the MLA has a Nazari resort
16:01which has the demolition order on it.
16:03The MLA of the sitting government
16:05has an illegal structure
16:07which is operating a commercial business.
16:09He has not demolished it
16:10and he's got a notice,
16:11contempt notice a few days back
16:12on the 1st of December.
16:14This is the government of Goa.
16:15They are completely
16:16an entity
16:17focused on enforcing
16:19and encouraging crime,
16:21propagating and encouraging crime.
16:22May I answer now?
16:22Okay, Yatish, these are...
16:24May I answer?
16:25The concern is of stricter regulation
16:27which is missing oversight
16:29and that's why
16:30these tragedies are happening.
16:32No, that's not correct.
16:33See, as I told you earlier,
16:34there are statutory agencies in Goa,
16:36there are departments in Goa
16:38who are supposed to ensure
16:39the compliance to permissions
16:41and ensure that this rule of law
16:43is kept
16:45and the government is wedded
16:48to ensure the rule of law.
16:50However, this particular incident
16:52which has happened,
16:53though it is unfortunate,
16:54government is very, very firm
16:56in ensuring that you go to the root of it.
16:58Please don't say...
16:59I mean, I do not agree with Mr. Bakshi here
17:01when he says the government is doing...
17:03The government is very firm
17:04in ensuring that illegalities
17:05of this kind do not happen
17:06because you can see
17:08from the terms of reference
17:09of the magistral inquiry...
17:11No, let me complete.
17:12Let me complete.
17:13You see the terms of reference
17:14of the magistral inquiry.
17:16In fact, the terms of reference
17:17are such
17:18that the magistral inquiry
17:19has got powers
17:20to record statements of people,
17:22go to the root of it,
17:24collect documents
17:25and give the report
17:26within seven days
17:27and fix accountability.
17:28I am again mentioning to you,
17:31apart from this particular
17:32magistral inquiry,
17:33there is also an order issued
17:36by the government
17:37whereby Safety Audit Committee
17:38has been constituted.
17:40There is another order
17:41whereby a Joint Enforcement
17:42and Monitoring Committee
17:43has been constituted.
17:44So, government's initiative
17:46to ensure that the people
17:49who do business
17:50by virtue of legal provisions
17:52to protect them is firm.
17:54But those who are doing business
17:56by violating law and illegally,
17:58government is not helping
17:59such enterprises.
18:01Let that be very clear.
18:03And most importantly,
18:04I would say,
18:05when the government itself says,
18:07let me complete,
18:08let me complete.
18:09When the government itself says,
18:10when the chief minister himself says
18:12that he wants to go
18:13to the bottom of it,
18:14the government and the administration
18:15needs to go to the bottom of it,
18:16fix accountability.
18:18I think when the magistral inquiry
18:19has been mandated
18:20with a period of seven days
18:22to go into detail
18:23and fix accountability,
18:25I think we should all,
18:26you know,
18:27be with the government
18:28in ensuring that accountability
18:30is still a matter.
18:31Many advocates such as you,
18:32Gaurav Bakshi,
18:33should wait.
18:34That is what the government
18:35representative here is saying,
18:38the BJP spokesperson.
18:39May I, Maria?
18:39Yes, please.
18:41So, a few facts,
18:42very important facts.
18:43Law and order,
18:44justice delivery,
18:45was number one in 2019
18:46when CM Sawant
18:47became chief minister in 2019.
18:49It was already number one
18:50amongst the small states of India.
18:52As per the Justice India
18:53delivery report
18:54at that time,
18:55in 2025,
18:56this year,
18:56it has gone down
18:57to the last ranking
18:59across all states of India.
19:01Justice delivery
19:02has been demolished
19:02by Chief Minister Sawant
19:03as Home Minister
19:04in the last six years.
19:06It's the worst in the country.
19:07That means law and order
19:08has been demolished.
19:09This is a fact.
19:10I'm not making it up.
19:11This is the India
19:11justice delivery report.
19:13Number two,
19:14there's a vigilance department
19:15which is supposed to act
19:16against corrupt officers.
19:17Mr. Nayak,
19:17are you aware of this department?
19:19I am fully aware
19:20and I am also fully aware
19:21that the conviction rate
19:22is very high.
19:23710 complaints
19:23have been received
19:24in the last six years.
19:25Can I complete, please?
19:27Mr. Nayak,
19:27can I complete?
19:28710 complaints
19:29have been received
19:30by citizens
19:30by this department
19:31in the last six years.
19:32Not a single FIR
19:33on those complaints
19:35received or registered
19:36by this department.
19:37Not a single Mr. Nayak.
19:39Only FIRs were registered
19:40once a few handful
19:42of citizens
19:42approached the court
19:43and the court,
19:45the local magistrate,
19:46directed that
19:47FIR would be registered.
19:49That means the government
19:50was deliberately asking
19:51the vigilance department
19:52not to register FIRs.
19:54They were found
19:54to be valid by the court
19:55and upon direction
19:57six FIRs were registered.
19:59The remaining six
19:59that have been registered
20:00were because the government
20:01itself found
20:02incredible lapses within
20:04and they were forced
20:05to go after
20:05their own six officers
20:06but not a single
20:08citizen's complaint
20:09was converted to an FIR.
20:10Please understand
20:11what kind of protection
20:12government is giving
20:12to all its officers.
20:14A quick response
20:15and then I'll give
20:15the last word
20:16to the former DGPS.
20:17Yes, please.
20:18Yes, please.
20:19You see the statistics
20:19that have come out
20:20in December 2024.
20:22Nothing has happened
20:22to the date, Maria.
20:23Let me answer.
20:24Let me answer.
20:25You see the statistics
20:27that have come out
20:27in December 2024.
20:29It is very clear
20:31that Goa has a detection
20:32rate of 96.6%
20:35in heinous times
20:35and 88%
20:37in overall cases.
20:38I am talking
20:39of the recent figures.
20:40I mean,
20:41as far as law and order
20:42is concerned,
20:43the government
20:43has got figures
20:45which show,
20:45I mean,
20:46the figures are
20:47in public domain
20:47which show
20:48the government
20:48is very sincere.
20:50The government
20:50and the prosecuting agencies
20:52and the police
20:53are doing their job.
20:54I mean,
20:54let it be very clear.
20:55These are all in public.
20:56Isn't the police
20:56really doing its job,
20:57Arvind Kumar Jain?
20:59Because, you know,
21:00one thing is also
21:01becoming clear
21:02because had
21:03the enforcement
21:05by the police
21:06of checks
21:07and licenses
21:08been in place,
21:10then this tragedy
21:11could have been
21:12perhaps avoided.
21:14Isn't the police
21:14then equally responsible?
21:17Yes,
21:17police is also responsible.
21:19Police is supposed
21:20to maintain
21:21law and order
21:22in their area.
21:23They are supposed
21:23to check licenses.
21:25They don't know
21:26that Kadhaqi dancer
21:27who was there,
21:29whether she was
21:30on a work permit
21:31or was she
21:33on a tourist permit.
21:34They are not
21:35even aware of it.
21:36Although,
21:36every foreigner
21:37has to report
21:38to police,
21:39to LIU
21:39whenever they report
21:41in a state.
21:43So,
21:43normal,
21:44normal functioning
21:45is missing.
21:46Drug minace
21:47is there.
21:48Drug minace
21:49is absolutely
21:50out of all proportions
21:51in Goa
21:52and there is
21:53no check on it.
21:54Israeli gangs
21:55are there,
21:56Russian gangs
21:56are there
21:57and they are
21:58indulging in
21:59drug trade
22:00and there is
22:01nobody to check it.
22:01I am told
22:02I am told that
22:02even a few
22:04policemen
22:05they don't dare
22:06to enter
22:06those colonies,
22:07those areas.
22:08So,
22:09Goa government
22:10will have to take
22:11very stringent measures.
22:12Since you made
22:13that point
22:13of this
22:14particular lane,
22:15Romeo lane,
22:16correct me,
22:17Yatish,
22:18one moment,
22:20Yatish,
22:20let me ask
22:21the question.
22:23Since you say
22:23that efforts
22:24were made
22:25to demolish
22:25the pubs
22:26on this lane
22:27and yet
22:28they came up
22:28and hence
22:29they have been
22:31demolished again,
22:32the question is
22:33when constructions
22:34were happening,
22:35what were the cops
22:36in that area doing?
22:37I will answer
22:38this question
22:39but before that
22:39I want to put
22:40something on record
22:41as Mr. Verma
22:42has said here,
22:43I don't agree
22:44with him
22:44that there are
22:45any gangs
22:46or anything
22:46like that in Goa.
22:48This is completely
22:49false.
22:50As far as your
22:53question is concerned
22:54about police
22:55and about law
22:56enforcement,
22:56I will put it
22:57again on record
22:58that no such
22:59illegal activity
23:00is supported
23:01by the government
23:01or any of the
23:02departments.
23:03However,
23:04if any such
23:05illegal structure
23:06has come up
23:07which we have
23:07seen,
23:08the government
23:08has taken action
23:09periodically.
23:10So you have
23:10taken action,
23:11there is bulldozer
23:12which has been
23:13used for demolition
23:14of these areas.
23:15Everything is as
23:16for law.
23:16But we will
23:17wait and see
23:18whether those
23:19who lost their
23:20lives,
23:20they will get
23:21justice.
23:21It's four days
23:22and counting.
23:23We are putting
23:24the spotlight
23:24on this story.
23:26It's a story
23:27which is of
23:28huge significance.
23:29Thank you so
23:30much for joining
23:30us,
23:30Gaurav Bakshi,
23:31Yatish Nayak
23:32and Arvind Kumar.
23:33And that's all
23:33from me.
23:34Thanks so much
23:35for watching.
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