Authorities issued multiple demolition notices over several years, and assembly-level complaints cited encroachment and mounting fire-safety violations, yet Romeo Lane took no action against Birch. This persistent inaction, despite successive warnings through 2024, enabled the illegal expansion of the nightclub to continue unchecked.
Senior IPS officers allegedly stopped local police and the crime branch from investigating licensing violations or filing an FIR. Opposition leaders accused the government of supporting illegalities for “hafta” collection.
When the fire broke out, poor safety norms, blocked exits, and illegal structural changes trapped people inside. Twenty-five died. The owners fled the country, raising more questions about official complicity and accountability.
How Ignored Notices And Safety Lapses Led To 25 Deaths At Goa Nightclub
Authorities repeatedly served demolition notices to the club, most recently in April 2024, for structural and permit violations. Despite clear instructions, officials took no concrete action.
When fire swept through Birch By Romeo Lane in Goa’s Arpora, killing 25 in minutes, the tragedy was no accident. It marked the culmination of repeated warnings, regulatory failures, and alleged political shielding that let the nightclub operate despite serious violations.
Authorities sent multiple demolition notices to the club, most recently in April 2024, citing structural and permit violations. Despite these orders, they took no substantive action.
Not only that, in August 2025, the issue surfaced again. Sankalp Amonkar, member of the Goa legislative assembly from Mormugao, raised concerns about encroachment on the Arpora land, flagging both illegal expansion and potential environmental violations. Even then, despite the public nature of the warning, no immediate corrective action was taken.
According to several reports, fire safety audits were either incomplete or not conducted at all, investigators said. Emergency exits were blocked or insufficient, and many interior materials were flammable.
Repeated Fire Safety Warnings Ignored
Yuri Alemao, Leader of the Opposition in the Goa Legislative Assembly and member of the Indian National Congress, accused the BJP government of repeatedly ignoring illegal activities for the sake of "hafta" collection by officers. He told Outlook that the club got a demolition notice from the local body, but the government did nothing, implying the club had government support.
Alemao said, "The government allows illegal clubs, ignoring public outrage, blocked exits, and a lack of safety norms. BJP destroys democracy, damaging our peace and culture."
Two local police units, the Anjuna police station and the crime branch, had issued notices to the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, seeking documents and operational permissions for the nightclub. But according to an officer familiar with the matter, senior IPS officials intervened and instructed both units to halt their inquiries, the Times of India reported.
The officer said the same IPS officials also pressured local police to close an FIR filed against the club over loud music violations, effectively shielding the establishment from further scrutiny. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, then Anjuna police inspector Prashal Desai was the first to formally question the club’s permissions and licences. However, a senior IPS officer, now retired, allegedly blocked the investigation and instructed Desai to drop the matter, TOI reported.
Two months later, crime branch DSP Rajesh Kumar issued another notice after being alerted to multiple violations by the club. Kumar called the owners to appear in person with all relevant permissions. But he, too, was stopped by the same IPS officer, preventing the inquiry from moving forward.
When the fire broke out, the effects of years of unchecked violations became devastatingly clear. With no proper emergency exits and chaotic evacuation routes, many guests were trapped inside.
Fire-fighters battled both the blaze and the building’s illegal, maze-like internal layout. What should have been an avoidable, contained incident turned into one of Goa’s worst entertainment-venue tragedies.
Alemao said, "Authorities let the owners flee, showing the government failed after 25 deaths. Police let them escape to Thailand, which is alarming."
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