BIRCH FIRE TRAGEdy: Ex-Panchayat Secy Held, 5-Day Custody Slapped
Mapusa: The Mapusa Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court has remanded Raghuvir Bagkar, the terminated panchayat secretary of Arpora-Nagoa, to 5 days of police custody in connection with the deadly Birch fire case. Bagkar was arrested by Anjuna police on Friday after his anticipatory bail application was rejected by the sessions court, Mapusa, on December 30, 2025.
The Birch fire, which occurred on December 6, 2025, claimed 25 lives at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora. The government had earlier dismissed Bagkar from service, citing grave dereliction of duty and misconduct, alleging he allowed the nightclub to operate illegally despite lacking necessary licenses and approvals ⁴ ⁵ ⁶.
The investigation revealed serious irregularities in granting trade licenses, house numbers, and approvals, with Bagkar admitting to allotting house numbers without proper verification. The magisterial inquiry report gave 60 recommendations to prevent similar incidents, highlighting the gravity of the situation
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