Goa, Jan. 1 -- The Goa government has dismissed Raghuvir Bagkar, former Panchayat Secretary of Village Panchayat Arpora-Nagoa, holding him guilty of grave dereliction of duty and misconduct that allegedly contributed to the tragic fire at Birch by Romeo Lane, which claimed 25 lives. In a related development, Arpora Sarpanch Roshan Redkar has been disqualified from his post and banned from contesting panchayat elec-tions for five years.

The dismissal order, issued on December 31, 2025, by the Directorate of Panchayats, follows findings of a Magisterial Inquiry into the incident. The order states that Bagkar's actions and omissions allowed the nightclub to operate illegally for an extended period, despite the absence of valid licences and ...