NT Reporter
Panaji
Enforcement Directorate’s Panaji zonal office has provisionally attached immovable properties valued at around Rs 17.45 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with an ongoing investigation pertaining to the ‘illegal operation’ of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora in Bardez.
The ED had initiated investigation on the basis of FIRs registered by the Anjuna police and the Mapusa police against Saurabh Luthra and others under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The said FIRs relate not only to the fire tragedy of December 6, 2025, which claimed 25 lives, but also to offences involving the large-scale forgery and fabrication of statutory documents, including no-objection certificates (NOCs), for obtaining regulatory approvals.
In January, the ED conducted searches at multiple premises linked to the subject entity, which resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices, along with freezing of bank accounts amounting to around Rs 59 lakh.
The ED probe has revealed that the establishment generated a total revenue of Rs 29.78 crore during the period from financial years 2023–24 to 2025–26 (till December 6, 2025) by way of illegal operation.
The revenue has been identified as ‘proceeds of crime’ within the meaning of Section 2(1)(u) of the PMLA.
According to the ED, the investigation under the PMLA has revealed that the establishment was being operated by M/s Being GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP without obtaining mandatory statutory approvals including the requisite fire NOC.
“It has further emerged that the partners of the said entity had submitted forged and fabricated documents, such as a fake health NOC and forged police clearance certificate, to various authorities in order to secure licences and project the establishment as lawfully compliant,” the ED disclosed.
Further investigation has brought to light that the partners, in active connivance with each other, knowingly continued the commercial operations of the establishment despite the absence and the expiry of mandatory licences, the ED said.
“Notably, the trade licence had expired on March 31, 2024 and was not renewed. However, the establishment continued to operate in blatant violation of statutory requirements,” ED said.
