CS, DGP get rights panel notices over violations at club

Panaji: The Goa State Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the chief secretary and the DGP in response to a complaint by the All India Lawyers Union, Goa unit, regarding gross human rights violations related to the Arpora nightclub fire that killed 25 people. The complaint seeks recovery of compensation from the accused persons.

The commission has called for replies by Jan 6.


The complaint alleges discriminatory treatment, with a low-level SIT constituted for the inquiry as the deceased were mostly workers. It stated that if foreign nationals had been among the dead, a higher-level investigation would have been ordered.

The demolition of another encroachment of the same owners at Vagator “immediately after the incident strongly suggests that authorities were aware of existing illegalities even prior to the fire. Such post-disaster actions indicate an attempt to conceal or mitigate exposure rather than prevent violations beforehand, thereby reflecting administrative malafides,” the complaint stated.

“The establishment was operating without the mandatory fire NOCs, adequate emergency exits, and compliance with building safety norms. Crowding far beyond permissible occupancy limits magnified the fatal consequences once the fire broke out. These lapses were not accidental but systemic, pointing to wilful disregard of safety regulations meant to protect human life, more specifically of the employees in the establishment,” the complaint further stated.

It added that the continued operation of the illegal establishment by the owners, despite knowing the risk, reflects liability not only on private owners but also on state authorities who are obligated to prevent such dangers.

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