22 establishments sealed after inspections following Birch nightclub fire: Goa CM

Inspections were conducted across Goa’s coastal belt following the fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub that claimed 25 lives last month

Panaji: Altogether, 86 establishments in Goa have been inspected and 22 have been sealed for operating without a fire licence and the Pollution Control Board’s consent, chief minister Pramod Sawant told the state legislative assembly on Friday.

Altogether, 86 establishments in Goa have been inspected and 22 have been sealed, chief minister Pramod Sawant told the state legislative assembly. (PTI)

Inspections were conducted across Goa’s coastal belt following the fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub that claimed 25 lives last month.

“After this incident, we have ordered an inspection of all establishments along the coastal belt. In North Goa, 47 were inspected and 17 have been sealed. In South Goa, 39 have been inspected and five have been sealed. Altogether, 86 such establishments have been inspected and 22 have been sealed for running solely on the basis of a trade and an excise licence, but have been operating without a fire licence and without consent to operate,” Sawant said.

Among the 22 clubs that have been sealed are prominent names such as Ottello, operating in Arambol on land owned by former Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, which was sealed by state authorities on Thursday, and Goya, a club in Anjuna built on agricultural land, which has been fined ₹15 lakh, asked to be demolished and directed to restore the land to its original condition.

According to the chief minister, between 2021 and 2025, the state issued 336 demolition orders against unauthorised constructions or activities on Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) land or salt pans, particularly those used as public gathering or commercial entertainment venues and tourism establishments, out of a total of 534 cases.

“Some have appealed against the demolition orders before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), while others have appealed in the High Court,” he said.

South Goa collector Egna Cleetus said that establishments with major violations were sealed, while those with minor violations have been asked to rectify them and obtain the necessary permissions.

“Almost all establishments faced some irregularity or the other. There wasn’t a single establishment that was fully compliant in all respects,” the collector, who oversaw the monitoring of establishments in South Goa, said.

Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao told the assembly, “Hundreds of cases are pending. Some say there is a club owned by Shilpa Shetty that has been issued demolition orders, yet such clubs are operating even today. Have we not learnt our lessons? How many of these clubs are still operational despite violations, and what action will the government take?”

Bastian Riviera in Morjim, set up on land owned by Carrick Bend Realty LLP, has been leased to Bastian Hospitality, founded by Ranjit Bindra and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

The company has denied allegations of illegality and pointed to the fact that a demolition notice issued against it was later withdrawn.

The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, which had issued a demolition notice against the club for erecting structures in a Morjim village survey area, withdrew its notice due to procedural lapses after it was found that the demolition notice had been issued without first affording the respondents a hearing.

The chief minister, in his reply, listed the case against Bastian as “pending.”

“The law is applicable to everyone, including VIPs, and no one will be spared,” Sawant said.

Safety lapses, including an inadequate number of exits, a thatched roof and stacks of alcohol, intensified the fire that ripped through the nightclub in the coastal village of Arpora on December 6. Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, the owners of the club, were arrested at Delhi airport on December 16 after being deported from Thailand, where they fled following the fire.