Owner of Birch by Romeo Lane, Saurabh Luthra, Identified Following Deadly Fire in Goa
Saurabh Luthra, owner of Birch by Romeo Lane, named it after a deadly Goa nightclub fire that killed 25 people.
The devastating fire which tore through the upscale nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 2025, killed at least 25 people and injuring dozens more in one of Goa’s deadliest nightlife tragedies in recent memory. The blaze erupted shortly after midnight on the club’s first floor, where over 100 patrons were celebrating, rapidly engulfing the venue in flames and thick smoke. Eyewitnesses described panic-stricken crowds scrambling for the single narrow exit as the fire spread, trapping many inside. Fire tenders struggled to reach the site, located along the Arpora River backwaters and accessible only via narrow lanes, delaying rescue operations by critical minutes.
The Arpora village sarpanch, Roshan Redkar, directly named Delhi-based entrepreneur Saurabh Luthra as the operator of Birch by Romeo Lane, revealing a history of legal and operational irregularities. According to Redkar, the club was built without a valid construction licence in an ecologically sensitive saltpan area falling under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), where permanent structures are prohibited. A demolition notice issued earlier by the panchayat had been stayed after an appeal, allowing the venue to continue functioning despite ongoing disputes between Luthra, the landowners, and former business partners.
Police have registered an FIR against the “owner”—now identified as Saurabh Luthra—and the general manager under sections related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and endangering human life through negligence. As of Sunday evening, Luthra remained unavailable for questioning, with authorities intensifying efforts to locate him. Known in hospitality circles as the chairman of the Romeo Lane group that operates premium outlets in Delhi, Gurugram, and now Goa, Luthra had promoted Birch as a high-end destination featuring international DJs and celebrity events.
Preliminary investigations point to multiple safety violations, including inadequate fire exits, non-functional extinguishers, and the possible use of highly flammable decorative materials. Sources indicate the fire may have originated from a short circuit or a gas cylinder, though forensic reports are awaited. The venue’s riverside location and wooden interiors reportedly accelerated the blaze, while the absence of emergency lighting and clear evacuation routes compounded the disaster.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced a magisterial inquiry and ordered immediate inspections of all nightlife establishments across the state, with several nearby clubs temporarily shut down. The tragedy has reignited long-standing concerns over unregulated construction and lax enforcement in Goa’s tourism hotspots, where rapid commercialisation often overrides environmental and safety regulations.
As families await identification of the victims—who include tourists from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and abroad—the incident has cast a sombre shadow over Goa’s party capital image. Opposition leaders and activists have demanded accountability not just from the operator but also from regulatory bodies that allowed an illegal structure to function in a prohibited zone, underscoring the urgent need for stricter oversight to prevent such catastrophes in the future.
