Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, the original owner of the land where Birch by Romeo Lane was located, on Tuesday said he had flagged illegalities related to the nightclub, where a fire claimed the lives of 25 people, and has been fighting a relentless legal battle for 20 years.

Talking to PTI, Amonkar said he had purchased two plots of land in Arpora village in 1994 and signed an agreement for sale with Surinder Kumar Khosla in 2004, but it was withdrawn within six months as the latter failed to pay the money.

Khosla went on to set up a nightclub on the land, which was later taken over by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane.

Amonkar became a whistleblower against the club and filed a complaint, along with Sunil Divkar, with the local Arpora-Nagoa panchayat regarding illegalities. The panchayat issued a demolition notice to Khosla in 2024, which he challenged and got a stay from the Directorate of Panchayat.

"I have been fighting a battle for the last 20 years against Khosla, who has been involved in all kinds of illegalities in this property (land) I own," he said.

Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular party venue in Arpora village in North Goa, turned into a death trap on December 7, when a massive fire tore through the premises, killing 25 people, most of them staff and a few tourists.

Amonkar said he had purchased plots measuring 31,000 square metres and 6,000 square metres in Arpora in 1994, and 10 years later signed an agreement for sale with Khosla. However, the agreement was withdrawn within six months, as Khosla failed to pay the money, he claimed.

While his case against Khosla has been pending in a lower court in Goa for the last 20 years, the latter continued his "illegal business" on Amonkar’s land, he alleged.

He said that on December 20, 2023, he filed a formal complaint with the local panchayat against the construction on his land.

In his complaint, Amonkar mentioned the unauthorised construction of shops, restaurants, six structures, and two platforms on alleged saltpans.

He added that the panchayat conducted a site inspection on January 17, 2024, and a show-cause notice was issued to Khosla on February 15.

Amonkar showed PTI a copy of the demolition order, which stated that Khosla had failed to produce any documentary evidence proving the legality of the unauthorised structures. However, Khosla managed to get a stay on the local panchayat's order by approaching the Directorate of Panchayat.

Amonkar alleged that Khosla was the main accused in the entire case. He has also taken to social media to provide clarity on the matter.

"The main accused is Khosla. I have been saying this for years, and I will continue to say it with the same clarity and conviction. He may flee the country," Amonkar wrote in a post.

Arpora Sarpanch Roshan Redkar had earlier said that attempts to demolish the structure in the past failed, as the Directorate of Panchayat had issued a stay order.

State authorities, meanwhile, have blamed the local panchayat for allowing the illegalities to continue. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Monday stated that the sarpanch had signed NOCs for electricity connection, water connection, house repairs, and granted a trade licence, among other permissions to the establishment.

The nightclub continued to operate even after its trade licence expired in March 2024. Under section 72-A of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, the local body is empowered to seal such premises, but they failed to do so.