Panaji, 14 Dec

A magisterial inquiry committee probing the devastating fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa has questioned the original landowner and the local panchayat head as part of its investigation into the incident that claimed 25 lives.

Original landowner Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar was summoned by the panel on Saturday afternoon and questioned for nearly seven hours. His lawyer, Prasenjeet Dhage, stated that the committee aimed to determine the circumstances leading to the tragedy. “My client had a warrant of appearance before the committee,” he said, adding, “It was a very intensive and vigorous inquiry.”

The Goa government has constituted a committee headed by district magistrate Ankit Yadav to conduct a magisterial inquiry into the December 6 fire. As part of the proceedings, Arpora-Nagoa panchayat sarpanch Roshan Redkar was also questioned by the panel. Redkar later told reporters that he had answered all queries. He has already secured pre-arrest bail from a local court in the case.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested five managers and staff members of the nightclub. The club’s co-owners, Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, were detained in Thailand after they allegedly fled the country following the incident.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, state authorities have launched a crackdown on tourist establishments flouting safety and licensing norms. On Saturday, officials sealed Cafe CO2 Goa, a popular cliff-top club at Vagator, and revoked the fire department’s no-objection certificate (NOC) of another establishment. This action followed the recent shutdown of the Goya Club in the same area for alleged violations.

An inspection revealed that Cafe CO2 Goa lacked a fire safety NOC and structural stability clearance. Separately, the Fire and Emergency Services revoked the NOC of Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna due to inadequate fire extinguishers, issuing a notice to its partner.

The incident has also triggered political reactions, with Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal alleging that the fire occurred due to corruption under the BJP-led state government.