Exclusive | Goa club fire: Owners ‘knew of blocked emergency exit, booked ticket to Phuket using Kamla Nagar travel agent’

The chargesheet filed in connection with the December 6, 2025, fire at Birch by Romeo Lane club in Goa has revealed several lapses that contributed to the tragedy and the actions of the owners afterwards. The fire claimed 25 lives, including five tourists, and a 4,420-page document was filed by the Goa police against 13 accused.

The Luthra brothers, Ajay Gupta and Gaurav Luthra, along with their partner Saurabh Luthra, were charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, forgery, and other offenses. The chargesheet also names Surinder Kumar Khosla, a UK national, as the owner of the property where the nightclub was housed. The Luthra brothers allegedly learned of the fire around 11.45 pm and booked flight tickets for themselves and Saurabh to Phuket using Kamla Nagar travel agent at 1:13 am.

The duo arrived in Phuket by 5:25 am. Gupta was in Goa from December 3 to 7, then allegedly traveled to Delhi and was admitted to a hospital in Lajpat Nagar. Khosla allegedly fled to the UK after the incident and remains at large. The chargesheet states that the nightclub lacked essential safety equipment, had no emergency evacuation plan, and had blocked emergency exit doors, allowing combustible materials to fill the upper deck and basement.

Despite knowing that fireworks could cause a major fire hazard, they permitted them during events. The chargesheet also accuses the then-sarpanch and former secretary of Arpora-Nagoa village panchayat of conniving with the accused to procure the nightclub's license and other permits.