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The entities moving the Goa-based nightclub, wherever 25 radical were killed successful a occurrence past year, generated gross of ₹22 crore successful the past 2 fiscals, an magnitude suspected to beryllium "proceeds of crime" nether the anti-money laundering law, the ED said connected Sunday (January 25, 2026).
The gross was suspected to beryllium proceeds of transgression arsenic the installation was allegedly being operated without statutory licenses, the bureau said.
Editorial | Wanton negligence: On the Goa blaze
The national probe bureau conducted raids successful Goa, Delhi and Haryana connected January 23 against 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nine and its promoters, including brothers Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra.
A devastating occurrence broke retired connected December 6, 2025 astatine the installation located successful Goa's Arpora village, erstwhile it was hosting a creation party. As galore arsenic 50 radical were injured successful the incident.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said successful a connection that the "searches amusement superior irregularities successful statutory compliance, including the procurement of licences connected the ground of forged documents and the continued cognition of commercialized activities contempt the lack of mandatory approvals from competent authorities." It was besides recovered during the raids, the ED said, that the entity operating the nightclub generated gross of astir ₹22 crore during the fiscal years of 2023-24 and 2024-25.
"This revenue, prima facie, suspected to represent proceeds of crime, arsenic the nine was functioning without the indispensable statutory licences and connected the ground of forged No Objection Certificates/licences from assorted departments," the ED alleged.
It added that funds worthy crores of rupees, generated from the amerciable cognition of the establishment, were "diverted" to idiosyncratic slope accounts of individuals arsenic good arsenic to accounts of different radical entities.
Some slope accounts of persons and entities suspected to beryllium progressive successful holding the proceeds of transgression person been frozen nether the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during the searches, it said.
"Evidence relating to overseas remittances routed done radical entities was besides unearthed during the searches, and imaginable contraventions of applicable laws are being examined," it added.
The ED probe is besides focused connected examining immoderate "possible" corruption space and consequent laundering of proceeds of transgression by different persons involved, it said.
The wealth laundering lawsuit stems from 2 FIRs filed by Goa constabulary against the accused.
The Goa constabulary has arrested 8 radical till present successful this case, including the Luthra brothers who are alleged to person fled the state hours aft the incidental and travelled to Thailand. They were aboriginal deported to India connected December 17 past twelvemonth and are presently successful the custody of Goa police.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had informed the authorities assembly aboriginal this period that the nightclub operated nether antithetic names implicit the years and that his authorities volition behaviour a probe into its violations since 1999.
The ED had raided the premises of the Luthras and co-owner Ajay Gupta located astatine Kingsway Camp successful the nationalist capital, Tatvam Villas successful Gurugram (Haryana) isolated from that of erstwhile sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa Roshan Redkar and ex-panchayat caput Raghuvir Bagkar successful Goa connected Friday.
Redkar and Bagkar are alleged to person facilitated and issued amerciable commercialized licences and NOCs for the club, the ED officials said.
The 2 person been arrested by the police.
ED officials besides visited the premises of Surinder Kumar Khosla, a British nationalist and besides 1 of the owners of the club, to analyse the wealth laundering space arising from the amerciable conversion of 'khazan' onshore (salt pan) connected which the Birch by Romeo Lane nine was located.
Goa constabulary has got issued a Red Notice from the Interpol against Khosla arsenic helium is not contiguous successful India.
