Goa club fire case: ED attaches Rs 11 cr property
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable property valued at Rs 11.01 crore in connection with an ongoing investigation into the illegal operation of the “Birch by Romeo Lane” nightclub at Arpora, Goa.
A fire at the nightclub in Arpora, Goa, on December 6 last year resulted in the deaths of 25 people, including five tourists. The brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who ran the club, had fled India; however, they were traced and detained in Thailand, then deported back to India.
The ED has attached properties under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The federal probing agency began an investigation based on FIRs registered by the Goa Police at Juna Police Station and Mapusa Police Station against Saurabh Luthra and others under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The FIRs relate not only to the major fire incident, which caused the death of 25 persons and injuries to many others, but also to offences involving forgery of documents, including fake and fabricated No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and other statutory documents used for obtaining regulatory approvals.
Investigation under PMLA revealed that eGS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP was operating the establishment without the necessary statutory approvals, including a Fire NOC.
The partners of the establishment had allegedly submitted forged documents, including a fake Health NOC and a fake Police Clearance Certificate, to acquire licences and present the illegal establishment as legitimate.
Further investigations revealed that the partners, in collusion, knowingly continued commercial operations despite the expiry of the mandated approvals, which had expired on 31 March, 2024, and were not renewed; nonetheless, the establishment continued to operate.
The investigation also uncovered that the establishment generated a total revenue of approximately Rs 29.78 crore during the period from FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26, up to 6 December 2025, which is identified as Proceeds of Crime under the provisions of PMLA. Searches conducted on January 23, 2026, at various premises belonging to the entity resulted in the seizure of digital devices and the freezing of bank accounts amounting to approximately Rs 59 lakh.
Earlier, a Provisional Attachment Order amounting to approximately Rs 17.45 crore had been issued in connection with the case.
With the latest attachment and freezing, the total amount attached or frozen now stands at approximately Rs 29.05 crore, the agency stated.
