NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable properties worth Rs 17.45 crore in connection with an ongoing investigation on the "illegal operation" of the Goa nightclub 'Birch by Romeo Lane' at Arpora, where 25 people were killed in a blaze in December 2025.
Meanwhile, a Goa court on Wednesday granted bail to Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the nightclub, in a forgery case.
The federal probe agency had initiated an investigation on the basis of cases registered by the Goa Police at Anjuna Police Station and Mapusa Police Station against Saurabh Luthra and others under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The cases relate not only to the tragic fire incident on December 6, 2025, but also to offences involving large-scale forgery and fabrication of statutory documents, including No Objection Certificates (NOCs), for the purpose of obtaining regulatory approvals.
"Investigation under the PMLA has revealed that the establishment was being operated by Being GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP without obtaining mandatory statutory approvals, including the requisite Fire NOC. It has further emerged that the partners of the said entity had submitted forged and fabricated documents, such as a fake Health NOC and forged Police Clearance Certificate, to various authorities in order to secure licences and project the establishment as lawfully compliant," the agency said.
Further investigation has brought to light that the partners, in active connivance with each other, knowingly continued the commercial operations of the establishment despite the absence and expiry of mandatory licences. “Notably, the trade licence had expired on March 31, 2024 and was not renewed; however, the establishment continued to operate in blatant violation of statutory requirements,” the agency said.
The investigation has further revealed that the establishment generated total revenue amounting to approximately Rs 29.78 crore during the period from financial year 2023–24 to financial year 2025–26 till December 6, 2025, by way of illegal operation, which has been identified as “Proceeds of Crime” under PMLA, 2002.
Earlier, during the course of investigation, searches were conducted on January 23, 2026 at multiple premises linked to the subject entity, which resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices, along with freezing of bank accounts amounting to approximately Rs 59 Lakh.
The owners of the club, the Luthra brothers, were granted regular bail in a forgery case by Judicial Magistrate First Class (Mapusa) Jude Sequeira, paving the way for their release from jail. The brothers had earlier in April secured bail in a case related to the fire at the club.
Hours after the fire broke out at the club on December 6, 2025, the brothers had fled to Thailand, from where they were deported to India on December 17 and arrested by the Anjuna police from the coastal state.