PANAJI
If Goa is often seen through postcard images of beaches and festivals, 2025 told a very different story. This was not just a year of crime or tourist safety worries. It was a year of avoidable tragedies that showed how weak public safety becomes when rules are ignored. Two events left the deepest scars ” the Shirgao temple stampede and the Arpora nightclub fire.
Shirgao stampede
Goa witnessed its first-ever temple stampede in the early hours of May 3 during the Shree Devi Lairai Jatra at Shirgao in Bicholim. Six devotees were crushed to death and several others were injured.
Although the government announced financial assistance for the victims’ families, accountability has remained missing. Seven months later, there have been no FIRs, no suspensions and no disciplinary action. Only eight senior officers, including IAS and IPS officials named by a State-appointed fact-finding committee, were transferred. The panel clearly said the stampede was “entirely preventable”, blaming poor crowd planning, ignored warnings, weak enforcement and poor infrastructure. Despite show-cause notices, the process has moved very slowly.
Arpora nightclub fire
The fire at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora killed 25 people, including employees and four tourists. The victims were trapped in an overcrowded club with limited exits. Most died of suffocation, and some bodies were so badly burnt that DNA tests were needed for identification.
The magisterial inquiry revealed that the club was operating without a valid occupancy certificate, with an expired trade licence, and within an eco-sensitive zone. Despite complaints, no-objection certificates were issued and authorities such as the panchayat, the Pollution Control Board and the GCZMA allegedly failed to act. The club owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, fled the country after the tragedy but were deported and arrested ten days later.
The High Court took suo motu notice of the case. The amicus curiae sought a court-monitored audit of all high-risk establishments along Goa’s coast, questioning how such a club was allowed to function.
Dacoities shake public confidence
While Goa was still dealing with these disasters, crime patterns also changed. Once known for strong detection rates, the State was shaken by a series of daring dacoities and high-value thefts.
Armed robberies were reported at homes in Dona Paula, Ganeshpuri and Baina. In at least two cases, police said organised Bangladeshi gangs were involved, working without digital footprints. Local helpers were arrested, but the main accused managed to escape, showing how inter-State and cross-border networks are staying ahead of the police.
In November, burglars stole cash and valuables worth nearly Rs 25 lakh from a locked flat in St Cruz in broad daylight, escaping within 30 minutes. An arrest was made only after the media questioned why the case was not made public.
Trouble within police force
Adding to the concern, more than 500 police personnel across ranks openly refused to comply with transfer orders. Despite repeated warnings and salary threats, many failed to report for duty, exposing serious cracks in discipline. Murders during the year also shocked the State.
Falling detection rate
Although the Goa police claimed that law and order was under control in 2025, the detection rate stood at 87.77 per cent ” a sharp fall from 96.67 per cent in the previous year.
