Goa nightclub fire: PIL in HC seeks court-monitored probe; alleges systematic failure of authorities

Mumbai: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the fire incident at the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub that killed 25 persons.

The petition, filed by social activist Aishwarya Salgaonkar, said the nightclub was operating without a valid construction licence and despite several demolition orders issued against it.

There has been a "systematic failure" on the part of the authorities to act against the club, the plea said.

The petition was mentioned before a bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan on Tuesday seeking urgent hearing.

The court said it would list the matter for hearing on December 16.

Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular party venue in Arpora village in North Goa, turned into a death trap on December 7 as a massive fire tore through the premises, killing 25 people, most of them staff and a few tourists.

The petition said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has himself admitted that the nightclub had not followed fire safety norms, and that the entrance and exit doors were congested and there was no proper ventilation, due to which most of the victims died of suffocation.

"This shows a shocking failure of municipal, panchayat and district authorities to enforce even the most basic statutory requirements intended to protect public life," the PIL said.

There has been a systematic failure to initiate action against illegal constructions, clubs operating without mandatory licences and in absence of fire-safety audits, the plea said, adding that unless the court interferes, such establishments shall continue to operate and claim innocent lives in case of any untoward incidents.

The petition sought the HC to set up a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the fire incident and to also constitute a judicial commission headed by a retired HC judge to inquire into the incident.

It also sought a direction to the government to conduct a state-wide fire safety audit of all night-clubs, restaurants, bars, hotels and beach shacks and to demolish all such structures that do not have the requisite permissions.