Goa nightclub fire: Landowner is ‘fighting a war for the past 20 years’ and claims irregularities

Goa nightclub fire:  The landowner of Birch by Romeo Lane, Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, claimed to have reported problems about the nightclub years before, when a major fire killed 25 people over the course of the Saturday and Sunday evenings.

According to PTI, Amonkar said he had been engaged in a 20-year legal struggle for the site where the nightclub was built.

According to Amonkar, he signed a contract to sell the property to Surinder Kumar Khosla in 2004 after buying it in 1994. He said that since Khosla did not provide him the money, the agreement was canceled.

The nightclub’s proprietors, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, occupied the property when Khosla refused to leave it. Amonkar became a whistleblower against the club and spoke to the local Arpora-Nagoa panchayat about the “irregularities.”

“I have been fighting a battle for the last 20 years against Khosla, who has been involved in all kinds of illegalities in this property (land) I own,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

A land case is still ongoing in the local court.
He claimed that even though his case had been ongoing for 20 years in a Goan lower court, the “illegal” enterprise was still thriving on the property that he legitimately “owned.”

According to Amonkar, on December 20, 2023, he formally complained to the local panchayat about building activities taking place on his land. He said in his complaint that the property had been used for unapproved building.

He said that when the panchayat conducted an on-site inspection on January 17, 2024, Khosla received a show-cause notice on February 15.

He said that by appealing to the Directorate of Panchayat, Khosla was able to get a stay on the panchayat’s ruling. Amonkar also claimed that Khosla was the main culprit.

Owners of nightclubs flee to Thailand
Following the fire incident, the proprietors of Birch by Romeo Lane have apparently fled to Thailand. In order to track down the two brothers, the Goa Police are getting ready to ask Interpol for help.