Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out search operations at the residential and office premises of the Luthra brothers, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, and Ajay Gupta, owners and partners of Birch by Romeo Lane, in Arpora, Goa, in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the club’s alleged illegal operations.The action comes after a fire at the nightclub during a party last month claimed 25 lives.
Sources said the searches are part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged illegal functioning of the club and the role of its promoters. All three promoters have been arrested and are currently in judicial custody.
Sources said the searches are part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged illegal functioning of the club and the role of its promoters.all three promoters arrested and currently in judicial custody.The ED action follows the registration of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and builds on cases filed by the Goa Police against the club management and others for lapses that contributed to the deadly blaze.
Officials said the central agency is examining the role of the promoters, financial transactions linked to the establishment, and possible diversion or concealment of funds that may attract provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). “Searches are being conducted at eight to nine locations across Delhi and Goa, including Outram Lanes (Kingsway Camp), Tatvam Villas in Gurugram, and the premises of the then Sarpanch, Roshan Redkar, and Panchayat Secretary, Raghuvir Bagkar, in Goa. They are alleged to have facilitated illegal trade licences and no-objection certificates for the club to operate,” officials added.
ED teams also raided the premises of Surinder Kumar Khosla to examine the money-laundering angle arising from the illegal conversion of khazan land (protected salt-pan) on which the nightclub was situated. Khosla, a UK national, is under investigation as the land-Owner for allegedly allowing the club to operate from an unauthorised structure. Investigators are probing whether the illegal land conversion and commercial activity generated proceeds that were laundered or concealed.
Goa Police have named Khosla as an accused in connection with the blaze, noting that the club operated despite serious regulatory and fire-safety violations. Police sources said Khosla was in Goa at the time of the fire but left for the UK shortly afterwards.
Sources said that while the Luthra brothers claimed to be hoteliers, a preliminary ED probe revealed they are linked to 41 companies registered at a single address. “There is a strong possibility that these companies are shell entities fronted by the Luthra brothers,” the sources added.
During the searches, the ED recovered several incriminating documents linking financial transactions and club operations. The documents are currently under scrutiny.
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The deadly blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane on December 6, 2025, claimed 25 lives and prompted widespread outrage over fire-safety lapses and regulatory violations. FIRs were registered against the club owners, promoters, and local officials allegedly responsible for allowing the nightclub to operate without mandatory clearances. Following the incident, the Luthra brothers fled India, triggering an international manhunt. With assistance from the Royal Thai Police, they were apprehended in Phuket on December 11 and brought back to India on December 17.
The ED’s money-laundering probe stems from allegations that financial proceeds from the club’s operations were diverted or concealed. Authorities are examining transactions linked to the promoters and other individuals who facilitated the club’s functioning. Investigators say the case highlights systemic lapses in regulatory oversight and underscores the nexus between unauthorised commercial activity and financial crimes.
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