Officials connected with giving permission to Luthra brothers to run nightclub show-caused: Goa CM Pramod Sawant

Porvorim (Goa) [India], December 31 (ANI): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant attended the oath ceremony of newly elected members of the zilla panchayat North and South Goa on Monday. Reacting to the Goa nightclub fire incident, he said that officials responsible for granting permission to the Luthra brothers, Gaurav and Saurav Luthra, to operate the nightclub have been issued a show-cause notice.
Speaking to ANI, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, "The Third district has been named as 'Kushavati' district under which there are four talukas... Its headquarters will be located in Capie. Special bus services will be introduced from Capie taluka... Kushavati is an ancient Goa river symbol of cultural heritage, and therefore we have given this name to the district. Rock carving in Kushavati is well known. I have welcomed all the zilla panchayat members."
"I have given instructions to all Heads of Departments that all the officials connected to giving permission to the nightclub, all of them have been given a show cause notice, and if anyone is found guilty, they will be punished," he added.
A Goa court on Monday sent Luthra brothers - Gaurav and Saurav Luthra to judicial custody until January 9, 2026, in the Birch by Romeo Lane fire incident.
The Luthra brothers are co-owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, in which 25 people died, and several others were injured in a fire on December 6.
Speaking to ANI, advocate Parag Rao, representing the Luthra brothers, said, "They have sought judicial custody, which apparently means that they have completed their investigation insofar as police custody is concerned. Now, judicial custody has been granted by the judicial magistrate first class till 9 January,2026... I have told my clients, and they have also been saying that they are cooperating."
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing a victim's family, said, "Luthra brothers' police remand was ending today in the Goa fire incident case... They have been sent to jail in judicial custody... Ajay Gupta, one of the three owners of the club, is already in the custody of Mapusa police station... They have already filed for anticipatory bail... We are filing an intervention application against their bail."
Earlier, on December 16, the Luthra brothers were brought from Delhi to Goa after being deported from Thailand.
The government initiated criminal proceedings against the club owners over alleged negligence and violation of mandatory safety norms after a fire at the Arpora nightclub on December 6 that claimed 25 lives.
According to the Goa police, the firework event was organised at the club without proper fire safety equipment and other essential safety gadgets. (ANI)