Goa nightclub fire: CM Sawant says fugitives will be caught soon; held a high level meeting

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday (December 10) said that some arrests have been made in the nightclub fire incident and the fugitives will be caught soon. On December 6, 25 people were killed in a fire at Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa.

Interpol has issued a blue notice against the two owners of the club – Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra – to trace their whereabouts. The Luthra family is reportedly in Thailand since the incident. The two flew to Phuket at 5:30 am on December 7, just hours after the tragic incident occurred.

Sawant said pubs violating safety norms have been closed. He said operators have been asked to strictly follow safety norms. “Licenses of tourist establishments not complying with fire safety in Goa will be cancelled,” Sawant said.

Sawant held a high-level meeting today with officials and tourism stakeholders to ensure strict safety measures ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations. Officials from North and South Goa district administration and police departments were present at the meeting, including state Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte.

Following the incident at the nightclub, the state government has issued various orders and also constituted committees, including a high-level magistrate inquiry panel and a fire safety audit committee, a senior official told PTI.

“The chief minister has ordered all departments to ensure that there is no laxity on their part, especially considering that a large number of tourists will be visiting Goa for the Christmas and New Year celebrations,” the official said.