Summons issued against two accused
Mapusa: The Anjuna police on Thursday filed a 4,150-page chargesheet against 13 people in connection with the inferno that broke out at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora in December 2025 claiming 25 lives.
The 13 accused named in the chargesheet, which was filed before the Mapusa JMFC Court, include Ajay Gupta, Gaurav Luthra, Saurabh Luthra, who are partners in M/s Being GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP and owners of Birch by Romeo Lane Bar & Restaurant /Club. All of them are in judicial custody.
Charges have also been filed against those who held managerial posts at the nightclub – Rajiv Modak (49), corporate general manager; Vivek Singh (27), general manager; and Bijay Kumar Singh (38), operation manager. All of them are in judicial custody.
Priyanshu Thakur (32), who was gate manager, and Rajveer Singhania, who was the bar manager, have also been chargesheeted. Both of them are out on bail.
Former sarpanch of the Arpora-Nagao panchayat Roshan Redkar (46) and former panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar (49) have also been named in the chargesheet. Both are also in judicial custody.
The police have also booked and chargesheeted two officials of an event company which had organised a show on the night of the tragedy.
They are Mayur Kolwalkar, director of the company, and Mohammad Afif Abdulsab Bateri, general manager.
The JMFC court on Thursday issued summons to the officials of the event management firm who have not been arrested by the police in this case.
The matter is now fixed for March 6 for the appearance of the two accused.
Surinder Kumar Khosla, a British national who is an owner of the property, has also been named as an accused.
The police said that a non-bailable warrant of arrest and, subsequently, a proclamation was issued against him. Thereafter, a Blue Corner Notice was issued against him to secure his presence for the investigation. However, he is still absconding.
The police had arrested one Bharat Kohli during the investigation. However, Kohli has not been named in the chargesheet.
Police sources said that during the course of the investigation no evidence was found against Kohli, hence he was not charged.
The police recorded statements of 305 witnesses in the case. They have registered an FIR against the accused under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 125 (endangering human life) and 287 (negligent handling of fire and combustible material endangering human life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The police have also added sections 338 (forgery of valuable securities), 336 (forgery), 340 (using forged documents), 61 (criminal conspiracy), 238 (destruction of evidence), 241 (destruction of electronic records) and 3 (7) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023.
