Cites licence manipulation, conspiracy allegations and need for custodial interrogation
PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of absconding former Arpora–Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar in connection with the Birch by Romeo Lane fire case, holding that the alleged conspiracy and licence manipulation require a full investigation.
Justice Ashish Chavan said custodial interrogation was necessary given the seriousness of the allegations. The order clears the way for Anjuna police to arrest Redkar.
“The undue haste of the Panchayat in grant of the trade license to Birch by Romeo Lane, in stark violation of the memorandum of guidelines issued by the Directorate of Panchayats without mandatory NOCs, the interpolation in the application for trade license when in the custody of the Panchayat and the manipulation of the instrument of license, when seen in the light of the nexus between the Applicant and the licensees and operators of Birch by Romeo Lane, certainly indicate sufficient material, collected by the investigating agency to show, prima facie, involvement of the Applicant,” the order said.
The Bench also accepted the State’s submission that Redkar’s role in facilitating the creation of false and fabricated documents needs deeper investigation to uncover the full scope of the alleged conspiracy. “The fact that the applicant is a public servant, an elected representative, and an important functionary of the Village Panchayat cannot be ignored while considering a request for pre-arrest bail, especially given the seriousness and gravity of the accusations,” the court observed.
Redkar (46) is currently absconding in connection with the December 6, 2025 fire at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives and left several others injured. During the hearing, the prosecution said the alleged manipulation of documents, including the insertion of a house number that did not match survey records, was part of a larger conspiracy involving public servants and the restaurant’s operators.
The court also noted the risk that Redkar could influence Panchayat staff, intimidate witnesses or tamper with evidence. “This concern is strengthened by the fact that when the applicant was summoned to the Anjuna Police Station on December 7, 2025 for investigation, he gathered a mob of around 100 people at the police station and obstructed the investigation,” the court said.
Holding that the scale of the conspiracy and the need to examine and link documentary evidence justify custodial interrogation, the court concluded: “In these circumstances, no case is made out for granting pre-arrest bail, and the application is therefore rejected.”
The court clarified that its observations are only a prima facie view for deciding the bail plea and will not influence the trial court in any proceedings arising from the FIR.
