ED probes money trail; raids Birch promoters, Goa officials

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at multiple locations linked to the promoters of Birch by Romeo Lane and certain Goa panchayat officials as part of its money-laundering investigation into the deadly nightclub fire that killed 25 people on December 6.

ED officials said that the probe centres on the alleged generation and laundering of proceeds of crime arising from illegal land conversion, unauthorised construction and the operation of the nightclub without mandatory licences.

Searches were made across eight-to-nine premises in Delhi, Gurugram and Goa, including locations in Outram Lines (Kingsway Camp), Tatvam Villas in Gurugram and properties linked to the club's promoters.


ED searched the premises of Delhi-based restaurateurs Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of the Romeo Lane hospitality chain, and Ajay Gupta, another co-owner of the Goa nightclub.

The agency is also examining the role of Surinder Kumar Khosla in the alleged illegal conversion of khazan land (salt pan land) on which the club was built. Conversion of the North Goa khazan land is considered a key component of the suspected laundering route.

In a significant escalation, the ED also searched premises linked to the then village sarpanch, Roshan Redkar, and panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar in Goa. Investigators allege that the officials facilitated the issuance of illegal trade licences and no-objection certificates (NOCs), enabling the club to operate in violation of land-use and safety norms. The agency is examining whether bribe payments and regulatory collusion constituted proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED action follows arrests made by the Goa Police in the case. A total of 11 people have been arrested so far, including the Luthra brothers, their partner Ajay Gupta, former Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar, and former Arpora-Nagoa panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar. Of the 11 arrested, three- including a driver, the gate manager and the bar manager of the nightclub-have been granted bail.

The Goa Police have charged the Luthra brothers with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence. The brothers were deported from Thailand days after the incident; investigators allege they booked last-minute flight tickets shortly after the fire broke out at the Arpora nightclub.

Earlier this month, a magisterial inquiry into the fire found that the local panchayat had "colluded" with the property owners, allowing the club to function illegally without a valid trade licence. The inquiry report said the panchayat failed to discharge its statutory duties by not sealing the premises or stopping operations despite serious violations.