Birch by Romeo Lane fire: ED raids owners’ premises in Goa, Delhi; 11 arrested, UK national sought

PANAJI: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Friday carried out search operations at eight locations in Goa and Delhi in connection with the Birch by Romeo Lane fire incident at Arpora, in which 25 people lost their lives on 6 December 2025.The searches were conducted at the premises of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane.The ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and launched an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case was registered based on the First Information Report (FIR) filed by Goa Police. Goa Police have arrested a total of 11 people in connection with the case, including the Luthra brothers, partner Ajay Gupta, former Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar, and former Arpora-Nagoa panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar.Of the 11 arrested, three were granted bail, including a driver, gate manager, and bar manager.Goa Police have approached Interpol through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), requesting a blue corner notice against UK national Surinder Kumar Khosla.The fire broke out at the nightclub around 11.45 pm on 6 December, when more than 150 tourists were attending an event. A preliminary investigation by police and the Directorate of Fire Services found that the fire started after electric firecrackers struck the wooden ceiling during the event.