Agency officials are also present at the premises of Surinder Kumar Khosla, a British national believed to one of the owners of the club, to examine the money laundering angle arising from the illegal conversion of 'khazan' land (salt pan) on which the Birch by Romeo Lane club was located
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The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted raids in Goa, Delhi and Haryana after it filed a money laundering case against the owners of a Goa-based nightclub where 25 people were killed in a devastating fire in December last year, officials said, reported news agency PTI.
Multiple offices and residences searched across states
About eight-nine premises, including the offices and residential locations of brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra and co-owner Ajay Gupta located at Kingsway Camp in the national capital, Tatvam Villas in Gurugram (Haryana) apart from that of sarpanch Roshan Redkar and panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar in Goa are being searched, reported PTI.
Village officials accused of issuing illegal licences
Redkar and Bagkar are alleged to have facilitated and issued illegal trade licences and NOCs for the club, as per ED officials, reported PTI.
Probe focuses on illegal land conversion
Agency officials are also present at the premises of Surinder Kumar Khosla, a British national believed to one of the owners of the club, to examine the money laundering angle arising from the illegal conversion of 'khazan' land (salt pan) on which the Birch by Romeo Lane club was located.
Case booked under PMLA provisions
The action is being undertaken after the federal probe agency booked a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said, reported PTI.
Officials said the searches aim to examine documents related to the ownership, operations and financial transactions of the entities under scrutiny.
The probe stems from the major fire incident in Goa that had raised serious concerns over violations of safety norms and alleged lapses in regulatory compliance.
Following the incident, multiple agencies initiated investigations to ascertain criminal liability, including possible money laundering linked to illegal construction, licensing violations and financial gains derived from non-compliance with fire and safety regulations.
Sources indicated that the ED's investigation is based on a predicate offence registered by local authorities, after which the central agency stepped in to examine the money trail.
Fire broke out during dance party in December
The fire broke out on December 6, 2025 at the nightclub in Goa's Arpora village, when it was hosting a dance party. As many as 50 people were injured in the incident.
Luthra brothers deported after fleeing India
The Luthra brothers fled the country hours after the incident and travelled to Thailand. They were later deported to India on December 17 last year and are currently in the custody of Goa police.
(With inputs from PTI)
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