Panaji: The Directorate of Panchayats on Wednesday dismissed the suspended Arpora-Nagoa panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar from service after the magisterial inquiry committee identified several lapses by Bagkar at the time of issuing trade licence to Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora. The order was issued by Mahadev Araundekar, Director of Panchayats.
“Raghuvir Bagkar, while functioning as panchayat secretary of Arpora-Nagoa from November 17, 2022, to July 3, 2025, has committed serious dereliction of duty, which has led to the tragic fire incident at the Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub,” states the order.
Following the December 6 fire, Bagkar was suspended on December 7.
In the order, Araundekar said that an offence was registered against Bagkar by the Anjuna police in connection with the incident. A court in Mapusa had rejected Bagkar’s anticipatory bail application. After the submission of the magisterial inquiry report, Bagkar is allegedly absconding and evading arrest. “As such, he is also not available for the purpose of departmental inquiry proposed to be conducted into his grave misconduct,” the order stated.
The licence was issued by the panchayat on December 16, 2023, to ‘Being GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP’ for running a bar and restaurant cum nightclub, which was valid till March 31, 2024, after which it has not been renewed.
The panchayat secretary in his deposition before the Magisterial Inquiry Committee stated that although he was aware that the trade licence of the establishment was not renewed, he did not inform any of the line departments who relied on the trade licence issued by the panchayat and granted their permissions/licences. He also said that he had not taken any action to seal the premises after the trade licence was not renewed and also did not take any action to seal the premises after issuing a demolition order.
“This establishes the collusion of Bagkar, the then secretary of the village panchayat, and the other authorities of the Arpora-Nagoa panchayat with the owners of the establishment to keep the operation of the said restaurant ongoing illegally,” the order said.
The director in the order observed that Bagkar entertained the December 11, 2023, application for the issue of trade licence despite serious infirmities in the application, which could have been noticed even by a layman. “Such as the application and documents enclosed have visible signs of forgery. Regarding documents to be enclosed for issuance of a new trade/establishment licence, the required documents, viz. the approved plan/rough sketch, photo of the structure and Forms I and XIV, etc, were not found enclosed. It is evident that there is no actual premises for which the house number was allotted; the magisterial inquiry committee has observed,” states the order.
It is evident that the panchayat secretary, despite having full knowledge that these shops are recent constructions on a salt pan, went ahead and issued house numbers as well as trade licences to these illegal structures.
The magisterial inquiry report further states that NOCs for electricity and water connections and permission for house repairs were given by sarpanch Roshan Redkar, knowing that the structures were illegally constructed in a salt pan.
The report revealed that the demolition notice was issued by the panchayat
secretary on April 20, 2024. “No immediate steps were taken by Bagkar to execute the demolition after the
15-day notice period issued to the owners of the premises.”
There were ample opportunities where, if the Panchayat intended, it could have demolished the illegal structure, the report stated.
Bagkar, in his deposition before the Magisterial Inquiry Committee, submitted that in the year 2022, as panchayat secretary, he allotted a house number to the establishment which was constructed in violation of the CRZ regulations.
