Goa nightclub fire: owners, facilitators under ED scanner for illegal earnings

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its money‑laundering investigation into the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa, where a devastating fire on December 6, 2025, killed 25 people and injured about 50 others during a dance party. New findings suggest that the entities running the club generated approximately Rs 22 crore in revenue over the last two fiscal years , which the agency suspects to be “proceeds of crime” under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) because the nightclub allegedly operated without valid statutory licences and necessary approvals .

On January 23 , the ED conducted coordinated raids at eight to nine locations across Goa, Delhi, and Gurugram (Haryana) linked to the club’s promoters and other individuals allegedly involved in facilitating regulatory violations. These include the residential and office premises of brothers Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra , co-owners of the club and the Romeo Lane hospitality group, and co‑owner Ajay Gupta . The agency also searched the premises of Surinder Kumar Khosla , a British national believed to be one of the club’s owners, as part of examining alleged illegal land conversion of khazan (salt pan) land on which the club was built.

According to the ED, initial inquiries have uncovered forged No Objection Certificates and licences , irregular statutory compliance, and diversion of funds generated from the club’s operations into personal and related bank accounts. Several accounts suspected of holding the proceeds of crime have been frozen under PMLA provisions. The agency’s investigation is also examining possible foreign remittances and contraventions of other laws , as well as a potential corruption angle involving public officials .

The ED’s action follows the Goa police registering two FIRs against the accused, which include charges related to culpable negligence and regulatory breaches tied to the fire tragedy. Police investigations had earlier revealed that the club lacked basic fire safety clearances, emergency exits, and proper licences , reportedly contributing to the high number of fatalities.

After the blaze, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra fled to Phuket, Thailand , hours following the incident, prompting immigration authorities to issue look‑out and Interpol notices against them before they were later deported to India and taken into Goa police custody on December 17, 2025 .

Earlier in the aftermath, authorities also set up a magisterial inquiry and an audit committee to investigate the circumstances that allowed the nightclub to operate despite expired and allegedly forged licences. The Goa government has announced ex gratia relief payments to the families of the deceased and injured survivors as part of immediate post-disaster measures.

The tragedy spurred broader safety measures across the region, including inspections of other nightlife venues for fire and regulatory compliance. The District Magistrate of South Goa later banned indoor fireworks and pyrotechnic devices at tourism and entertainment establishments following concerns that such devices may have triggered or worsened the blaze.