Goa fire tragedy: Flagged illegalities about nightclub for years, says landowner
Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, the main owner of the land where Birch by Romeo Lane is located, said on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, that the fire marked illegal situations regarding the nightclub, where it claimed the lives of 25 people, and that he has been fighting a relentless legal battle for 20 years.
I’m talking PTIAmonkar said he purchased two plots of land in Arpora village in 1994 and signed a sale agreement with Surinder Kumar Khosla in 2004, but the deal was withdrawn within six months as the latter failed to pay the money.
Kholsa went on to set up a nightclub on the land, which was later taken over by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane.
Amonkar became a whistleblower against the club and along with Sunil Divkar filed a complaint against the organization in the local Arpora-Nagoa panchayat regarding illegalities. The Panchayat had issued a demolition notice to Khosla in 2024, which he objected to and got a stay from the Panchayat Directorate.
“I have been fighting for the last 20 years against Khosla, who is involved in all kinds of unlawful acts on this property (land) that I own,” he said.
Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular party venue in North Goa’s Arpora village, turned into a death trap on December 7 when a massive fire ripped through the building, killing 25 people, mostly staff and a few tourists.
Amonkar said that he bought 31 thousand square meters and 6 thousand square meters of land in Arpora in 1994, and 10 years later he signed a sales agreement with Khosla.
However, he claimed that the deal was withdrawn within six months due to Khosla’s inability to pay the money.
Amonkar said his case against Khosla was ongoing in the lower court in Goa for the last 20 years, but Khosla continued his “illegal dealings” in his territory.
He said he filed a formal complaint with the local panchayat against the construction on his land on December 20, 2023.
In his complaint, Amonkar stated that shops, restaurants, six structures and two platforms were built without permission in the alleged salt flats.
He said the Panchayat conducted a field inspection on January 17, 2024 and a show-cause notice was issued to Khosla on February 15.
Amonkar showed a copy of the demolition order to PTI, and PTI stated that Khosla had not produced any documentary evidence proving the legality of the unauthorized structures.
However, Khosla managed to stay on the orders of the local panchayat by appealing to the Panchayat Directorate.
Amonkar claimed that Khosla was the main accused in the entire case.
He also took to social media to clarify the issue.
“The prime accused is Khosla. I have been saying this for years and will continue to say it with the same clarity and conviction. He can flee the country,” Amonkar wrote in a post.
Arpora Sarpanch Roshan Redkar had earlier said that they tried to demolish the structure but could not do so as the Panchayat Directorate issued a stay of execution.
State officials, on the other hand, accused the local panchayat of allowing illegalities to continue.
The Prime Minister’s Office (CMO) on Monday stated that the sarpanch signed NOCs for electricity connection, water connection, home repairs and granted trade license to the organization among other permits.
The nightclub continued to operate even after its trading license expired in March 2024.
Under section 72-A of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, the local body has the power to seal such premises. But they failed to do this.
It was published – 09 December 2025 10:05 IST
