NT Reporter
Panaji
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has held that the state government cannot avoid responsibility for compensating the victims of the December 2025 fire at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, observing that liability for compensation rests both with the club owners and the state.
The court was hearing a suo motu public interest litigation initiated following the late-night fire in which 25 persons were killed and several others injured.
The Division Bench of Justices Suman Shyam and Amit Jamsandekar said the incident reflected a violation of the fundamental rights of the workers who lost their lives in the blaze.
At the outset, the court said its immediate priority was compensation to the families of the workmen who died in the blaze.
“Now, of course, the owner has liability but the state also has liability,” the court said. It added that the club’s owners were required to compensate those affected by the tragedy and that the state government should also provide compensation at the earliest.
The High Court said the case was a clear instance of violation of the fundamental rights of the workers. It said that one component of compensation would arise under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, but clarified that this did not absolve the state of its duty to provide compensation to the affected families.
The bench said that the petition was not confined only to the question of compensation but also raised broader systemic issues. It said the court would examine long-term preventive measures to ensure that similar incidents do not recur in the future. The court said it was also considering the fixation of liability on officials found responsible for lapses that may have contributed to the incident.
During the hearing, the court directed village panchayats in the coastal belt of the state to file affidavits placing on record details of trade licences issued by them. The court further directed that the affidavits should also disclose how many of the licensed establishments possess valid construction licences and occupancy certificates.
The matter relating to ex gratia compensation to the families of the deceased has been posted for hearing on February 24.
A counsel appearing for the respondents, including the Luthra brothers and the former sarpanch of Arpora, sought four weeks’ time to file replies to the petition. The court granted the request and said the matter would be taken up after all parties submit their responses.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam sought time to verify details relating to any payments made by the government to the affected families.
The court said it did not intend to make the proceedings cumbersome and would instead focus on three broad areas: identifying those responsible for the incident, ensuring compensation to the victims, and putting in
place stringent measures to prevent recurrence of such tragedies.
