MAPUSA
The Mapusa Additional Sessions Court has granted conditional bail to former Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar and panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar in connection with the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ fire tragedy.
The court ordered their release on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each, subject to conditions.
Bagkar was arrested on January 16, while Redkar was taken into custody on January 22. Both are among nine persons arrested so far in the case, including the Luthra brothers, owners of the nightclub, and partner Ajay Gupta, who was granted bail earlier this month.
The case stems from the devastating fire that shook Goa in December 2025. A magisterial inquiry report into the incident flagged serious administrative lapses and regulatory violations.
The report alleged that Redkar misused his official position to shield illegal operations, while Bagkar facilitated unauthorised activities by failing to properly verify documents and by bypassing mandatory procedures.
Following the inquiry findings, the Goa government disqualified Redkar from the post of sarpanch and dismissed Bagkar from government service.
Apart from the criminal investigation into the fire, the financial dimension of the case is under scrutiny by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The agency is probing suspected illegal conversion of khazan land and alleged irregularities in securing licences for the nightclub.
Searches were conducted at multiple locations in Goa and Delhi, and documents and digital data were seized under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
