ED attaches Rs 11 crore property linked to Birch inferno

Margao: The Enforcement Directorate’s Panaji zonal office has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 11 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the illegal operation of Birch by Romeo Lane at Arpora — the nightclub where an inferno on Dec 6, 2025, killed 25 people and injured several others.

The ED initiated its investigation on the basis of FIRs registered by Anjuna and Mapusa police against Saurabh Luthra and others under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The FIRs relate not only to the fire tragedy but also to offences involving forgery of documents, including fake and fabricated No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and other statutory documents used to obtain regulatory approvals.

Investigations under PMLA revealed that the establishment was being operated without mandatory statutory approvals, including a fire NOC. The partners had allegedly submitted a fake health NOC and a forged police clearance certificate to obtain licences and project the illegal establishment as legitimate, ED sources said.

The establishment’s trade licence had expired on March 31, 2024, and was never renewed, though operations continued. The ED found that the establishment generated total revenue of approximately Rs 30 crore between FY 2023-24 and FY 2025-26 (up to Dec 6, 2025), which has been identified as proceeds of crime under PMLA.

Earlier, on Jan 23, 2026, searches at various premises linked to the entity resulted in seizure of incriminating documents, digital devices and freezing of bank accounts amounting to approximately Rs 59 lakh.

A provisional attachment order (PAO) of approximately Rs 17 crore was also issued previously in the case. With the latest attachment, the total attachment and freezing in the case now stands at approximately Rs 29 crore.