Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Jan 1: A government-appointed magisterial inquiry has concluded that the Goa nightclub where 25 people lost their lives in a devastating fire earlier this month was illegally constructed on a salt pan and was allowed to operate despite lacking mandatory permissions.
According to the report, made public on Wednesday, the nightclub ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ located at Arpora village in North Goa was built in the middle of a salt pan or water body, land on which construction is expressly prohibited. The inquiry noted that raising any structure on a salt pan violates existing laws, including provisions of the Goa Land Revenue Code and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
The report further revealed that the establishment continued to function without a valid trade licence after March 31, 2024, when its licence expired. Despite having the authority to act, the Arpora-Nagoa village panchayat neither sealed the premises nor informed other departments that depended on the panchayat-issued trade licence to grant their own approvals.
The inquiry pointed to clear administrative negligence and alleged collusion. Statements recorded during the probe showed that the panchayat secretary admitted he did not inform line departments about the non-renewal of the trade licence, even though permissions from those departments were contingent upon a valid licence. The village sarpanch also acknowledged that no steps were taken to shut down the establishment or alert authorities after the licence lapsed.
The report said such conduct indicated collusion with the nightclub’s owners and violations of official conduct rules.
Serious procedural lapses were also flagged in the initial issuance of the licence in December 2023. The inquiry observed irregularities in the application, including entries that appeared to have been added later in different ink, such as the house number and description of the premises as a bar and nightclub.
Several mandatory documents — including approved building plans, land records and photographs — were missing from the application file. Despite these shortcomings, the application submitted on December 11, 2023, was approved within days. The village panchayat passed a resolution clearing the licence on December 14, and the final certificate was issued on December 16, a pace the inquiry described as unusually hasty.
The panchayat secretary also admitted to not verifying the house number while granting the licence to the hexagonal structure.
The report further highlighted that numerous complaints related to noise pollution and parking were lodged against the nightclub between January 2024 and December 2025. However, these complaints were repeatedly closed with remarks stating that inspections found nothing amiss. The inquiry noted that directions of the Bombay High Court at Goa regarding inspections and night patrolling in the area were not followed.
On the night of December 6, fireworks were organised at the nightclub without adequate safety measures or fire-fighting equipment, according to a police report cited in the inquiry.