Goa

Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers granted bail, set to walk out of jail

A Goa court on Wednesday granted bail to Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of fire-ravaged nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, in a forgery case, paving the way for their release from jail. The brothers had earlier secured bail in a case related to the devastating blaze of last December that left 25 dead. Advocate Parag Rao, representing the Luthras, told reporters that Judicial Magistrate First Class (Mapusa) Jude Sequeira granted regular bail to the accused in the forgery case. With this verdict, Rao said, the brothers will be released from jail. Rao said his clients have been asked to report to the Mapusa police station for the next five days. "We are waiting for the detailed judgment in the case," he said. The case pertains to allegations that the Luthra brothers used forged documents, including a fake no-objection certificate (NOC), to obtain permissions and an excise licence for operating their nightclub at Arpora village in North Goa. According to police, the alleged forg

Goa govt, Cochin Port Authority join DoT's 'SAMPANN' to streamline pensions

The Goa government and the Cochin Port Authority on Thursday signed agreements to onboard onto the Department of Telecommunications' digital platform SAMPANN to streamline the disbursement of pensions. The agreement signing ceremony was presided over by Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in the national capital. Developed, owned, and operated by the Office of the Controller General of Communication Accounts (CGCA), SAMPANN is an end-to-end digital platform designed to cover the entire pension lifecycle. Currently, it enables the direct credit of pensions for about 4.8 lakh telecom pensioners belonging to the DoT, BSNL, MTNL, and VSNL. DoT (Department of Telecommunications) is now offering SAMPANN as a 'Platform as a Service' (PaaS) to other departments, state governments, and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). Meanwhile, the minister also released a commemorative postage stamp to mark the 75th anniversary of the Postal Training Centre (PTC) located in Saharanpur.

Recent global conflicts reaffirm need for strong Navy: Vice Admiral Sobti

Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti on Tuesday said the recent global developments reaffirm the need for a strong navy and with rising strategic competitions and conflicts, the Indian Navy remains the prime manifestation of the country's maritime power. He was addressing a gathering during the launch of the first Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) built by Goa Shipyard Limited in Vasco. "India's identity as a maritime nation is defined by its geography and history. With a vast coastline, numerous land territories, both in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, and an Exclusive Economic Zone, our maritime domain is both a source of responsibility and of opportunities," Vice Admiral Sobti said, after launching the vessel. The seas around us carry the lifeline of trade, energy and connectivity, he pointed out. "Safeguarding these interests requires a capable, responsive and forward-looking navy. Indian Navy's role in shaping the geopolitical environment in the

Goa nightclub fire: Court denies bail to Luthra brothers in forgery case

A court in Goa has rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the fire-ravaged Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, in a case involving the alleged forgery of documents to obtain an excise licence. The additional sessions court in Mapusa on Friday rejected the petition filed by the brothers, their advocate Parag Rao said. The Luthras owned Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora village of North Goa, where a fire broke out on December 6, 2025, killing 25 people and injuring 50 others. The brothers, who had fled to Thailand after the fire and were deported from that nation on December 17, are currently in Colvale central jail in North Goa. While the Anjuna police were investigating the duo in connection with the fire, the Mapusa police registered a case of forgery, accusing them of providing forged documents to obtain a licence from the excise department for the nightclub. Talking to reporters, advocate Rao said the judge announced that both their

Goa nightclub fire case: Court grants bail to co-owner Ajay Gupta

A Goa court has granted bail to Ajay Gupta, one of the owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in the state, where a devastating fire killed 25 persons in December last year, his lawyer said. Gupta was arrested in New Delhi more than three months ago. The district court at Mapusa in North Goa granted him bail on Monday. Lawyer Rohan Desai, representing the accused, told the court during arguments that there was no evidence against Gupta in the chargesheet filed by the police in the case. The voluminous chargesheet does not specify any role of Gupta in the tragedy, he said, adding that allegations of forging documents levelled against his client were also unfounded. The judge released Gupta on a surety of Rs 50,000 and imposed several conditions, including that he shall not leave the country without the court's permission and surrender his passport before it, Desai said. The court also asked Gupta not to tamper with evidence while on bail, he added. Twenty-five persons -- 2

Goa received ₹252.83 crore from auction of 12 iron ore blocks: CM Sawant

In a major boost to Goa's economy, the state government has received Rs 252.83 crore in upfront payments from the auction of 12 iron ore blocks, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said. Sawant, while presenting the state budget 2026-27, said that five of the auctioned blocks at Bicholim, Shirgao-Mayem, Sirigao, Advalpal-Thivim and Kudnem-Corlim have already become operational. The remaining seven blocks are in the process of obtaining environmental clearances and other statutory permissions, he said. He informed that the government received Rs 252.83 crore in upfront payments from the auction of these iron ore blocks. The chief minister announced that a total provision of Rs 26 crore has been made for the mines department in the budget. "My government is also in the process of initiating the fourth Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) to auction more blocks and the second phase of e-auction for mining dumps," he told the House. Sawant also announced the continuation of the government schem

ECI defers publication of Goa SIR's final electoral roll to Feb 21

The final electoral rolls of Goa, as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list, will be published on February 21 instead of February 14, the Election Commission (EC) said on Wednesday. In a letter to the state chief electoral officer, the EC said "... final publication of electoral roll in respect of special intensive revision (SIR) ... shall be done on February 21, 2026 (Saturday)". It asked the CEO to inform political parties and other stakeholders accordingly. While the draft rolls were published on December 16 last year, the final rolls were slated to be published on Saturday. Of the 11.85 lakh electors in the draft rolls, 10.84 were included in the draft list, while another 1.01 lakh were put in the ASD (absent, shifted, dead/duplicate) category.

ONGC opens 4,000-seat convention centre in Goa, eyes Filmfare-scale events

Overlooking the Arabian Sea and just a 15-minute ferry ride away from leading beachside resorts, a 4,000-seat convention centre has been built in pristine south Goa to host large conferences and marquee events, including Filmfare-scale award functions. State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has an Advanced Training Institute (ATI) at Betul in South Goa for training its personnel in safety and HSE practices. Its campus is spread over 1 million square metres, or roughly 250-270 acres, with the training centre being housed in a small portion. Back in 2023, a make-shift conference centre at the unused portion of the vast land at ATI hosted a second edition of India Energy Week, as convention centres that could hold an event of that size elsewhere in the country were unavailable. And there germinated the idea of building a permanent facility to add another chapter to Goa's tourism. Before the fourth edition of IEW at the end of January this year, the convention centre was ...

Forced selfies with foreigners on beaches to invite detention: Goa Police

Goa Police have launched a crackdown against domestic tourists harassing foreign nationals on the state's beaches, warning that anyone found clicking photographs without consent or forcing selfies will be detained on the spot, a senior official said on Friday. The action has been initiated after several instances of domestic tourists clicking pictures of foreign women and insisting on selfies on beaches have surfaced, the official said. The Calangute police in North Goa recently registered a case against two tourists hailing from Odisha for allegedly harassing a Russian woman on a beach. According to the police, the incident took place earlier this week on Calangute beach, where the accused, Akash Minaz (19) and Dhayan Tappo (34), forcibly clicked photos with a foreign tourist and touched her inappropriately. The senior official said a domestic tourist will be detained on the spot if he is found clicking photographs of foreign women without their consent or forcibly taking selfies

Goa may impose Australia-style social media ban for children under 16

Goa is studying Australia's law restricting social media access for children under 16, after parents have raised concerns about online distractions and the impact on students' learning

Goa nightclub fire: Ex-sarpanch surrenders after dismissal of bail plea

A former sarpanch of Goa's Arpora village, who occupied the post when a fire at the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub killed 25 persons last year, surrendered before a local court on Thursday. Roshan Redkar surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Mapusa, a day after the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail application. The former sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa panchayat was booked by the Anjuna police along with others, including Panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar, for allegedly facilitating licences for the nightclub. Redkar first approached the Additional District Court in Mapusa seeking pre-arrest bail, but the court rejected his plea. He then challenged the order in the high court, which also denied him relief. The Directorate of Panchayat has already disqualified Redkar from the post of sarpanch after he was named in the FIR by the Goa police, said officials. Police have also arrested Bagkar, who is accused of colluding with the Redkar to .

Nightclub where fire killed 25 flagged for illegal construction: Goa govt

The Goa government has told the legislative assembly that the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, where 25 persons died in a fire last month, had been flagged for illegal construction by revenue officials in 2024. Twenty-five persons were killed last month in a fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, located at Arpora in North Goa. State Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserratte, in a written reply to the House on Friday, attached documents that show the club was constructed by demolishing the traditional sluice gate inside the salt pan by illegally converting the land. The original owners of the property, Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, had filed a complaint before the Bardez taluka mamlatdar (revenue officer) on December 21, 2023. The complaint was filed against the then Maizon Lake View Resort (later named as the Birch by Romeo Lane after it was leased out to brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra). The complainants had signed an agreement for sale with Surinder Khosla, the ...

Guj, Arunachal, Goa top states in ecosystem for startups: DPIIT ranking

Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa ranked as the 'best performers' in developing a startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs, according to the ranking of states and Union territories by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade released on Friday. Gujarat has been ranked as the best performer for the fifth time in a row. Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh are categorised as the top performers. The ranking is a yearly exercise under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) that evaluates all states and Union territories on their efforts to build an ecosystem conducive to startup growth. A total of 34 states and Union territories (UTs) participated in the exercise. They are ranked under five categories -- best performers, top performers, leaders, aspiring leaders and emerging startup ecosystems. The states and Union Territories were broadly divided into two sections based on their population size -- those

Goa SIR: EC clarifies notice to ex-Navy chief over missing details

The Election Commission of India on Monday issued a clarification on the notice issued as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in Goa to former Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash (retd), stating that his enumeration form did not contain mandatory particulars related to the previous SIR. The ECI had asked Prakash, who has been settled in Goa since his retirement, to attend a meeting to establish his identity as part of the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls. Several netizens, including those who retired from the armed forces, had expressed concern about such a notice to Prakash, a Vir Chakra awardee for his role in the India-Pakistan War of 1971. In a clarification issued on Monday, Electoral Registration Officer Dr Medora Ermomilla D'Costa said, "In the context of media reports relating to notices issued during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), it is clarified that during the course of SIR, the Booth Level Officer (BLO) of Part No. 43 of Cortalim Assembly Constituency ...

Goa economy grew 14.94% in FY24, 'Viksit' state target set for 2037: Guv

Goa's economy has shown a positive growth trajectory of 14.94 per cent in 2023-24 (provisional) as per estimates received from Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Governor P Ashok Gajapathi Raju said on Monday on the first day of the Winter Session of the state assembly. In his first address in the House since taking over as governor in July last year, Raju said the preparation of Vision Document 'Viksit Goa @ 2037' is in its final stages, adding it would act as an all-inclusive, long-term blueprint by aligning with the vision of Prime Minister Modi of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'. "I am happy to state that Goa's economy continues to show a positive growth trajectory of 14.94 per cent in 2023-24 (provisional) as per the estimates received from Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. 28," he said. Based on the enthusiasm and passion with which the state government was functioning, Raju said he was confident that the target of Goa becoming a developed state would

Pre-Budget meet: States push for equitable funds, higher deficit limits

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has sought a more equitable Centre-state funding pattern under centrally sponsored schemes, taking into account Goa's coastal challenges, Western Ghats ecology, and national tourism responsibilities. Sawant attended the pre-budget Meeting for the Union Budget 2026-27, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in New Delhi on Saturday. Finance ministers of various states and Union Territories and other senior officials participated in the meeting. Later, Sawant, in a statement, said the meeting involved detailed deliberations on key provisions and priorities for the upcoming Union Budget. "Goa's perspectives, demands, and developmental requirements were presented, with a focus on sustaining momentum in critical infrastructure projects," he said. The CM said Goa also sought to strengthen social welfare schemes, ensuring continued support for capital investment, carrying forward state-specific Finance Commission recommendations, and seeking a .

Goa sees record 10.8 mn tourist arrivals in 2025, foreign arrivals rise

Nearly 1.08 crore tourists, including five lakh foreigners, arrived in Goa in 2025, surpassing the numbers of previous years, as per official data. The Goa government's focus remains on promoting quality tourism, diversifying markets, and advancing the coastal state's vision of Regenerative Tourism, ensuring that its growth translates into long-term benefits for local communities, the environment, and the economy, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Sunday. In 2025, Goa recorded 1,02,84,608 domestic tourists and 5,17,802 foreign tourists, aggregating to 1,08,02,410 total arrivals, the state Tourism Department said in its data released on Sunday. Foreign tourist arrivals through charter flights have played an important role in Goa's inbound tourism, particularly from traditional source markets, it said. The data indicated that tourist arrivals in Goa, known for its picturesque beaches, have shown distinct phases of growth, disruption, and recovery over the years. In 2017, the st

HC flags access to phones in Goa's Colvale jail, orders jammer network

The High Court of Bombay at Goa has said that it shocks the conscience that mobile charging points were installed inside the Central Jail at Colvale in North Goa without the knowledge and consent of the prison authorities. In a recent order, Justice Shreeram V Shirsat took cognisance of the smuggling of mobile phones and contraband into the jail premises and asked prison officials to install a robust jammer network. The HC gave the directions while hearing a petition against Chandu Patil, who is in jail for allegedly murdering a child. Patil allegedly had called up the victim's family from the jail, issuing them veiled threats. Some swift, comprehensive, remedial and stringent measures are required to be taken by the jail authorities to ensure that such incidents do not occur in future, the judge said. The court order, which has sought a reply from the jail administration on January 20, 2026, has also pointed out that several cells inside the jail have mobile charging points, which

Goa govt waives ₹3.2 crore interest on old loans of ST, OBC beneficiaries

The Goa cabinet on Wednesday decided to waive the Rs 3.20 crore interest accumulated on loans availed by 500 beneficiaries belonging to the Scheduled Tribe and OBC categories around 30 years ago, and close cases pending against them with the Revenue department. These beneficiaries, however, will have to repay the loan principal. "Around 500 people had procured loans, ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, from state-run SC-OBC Finance Corporation, 25 to 30 years ago. Since the loan has not been recovered, cases against these beneficiaries are pending before the Revenue officers. "The state cabinet has decided to waive the accumulated interest of Rs 3.20 crore and close the pending cases," Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters.

Rajnath commissions ICG's pollution control vessel 'Samudra Pratap' in Goa

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned the Indian Coast Guard's (ICG) first indigenously designed and built pollution control vessel 'Samudra Pratap' in Goa on Monday. The 114.5-metre vessel, built by the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), has over 60 per cent of indigenous content. The 4,200-tonne vessel boasts a speed of more than 22 knots and an endurance of 6,000 nautical miles, officials said. It will serve as a critical platform for enforcing marine pollution control regulations, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations, and safeguarding India's Exclusive Economic Zone. The vessel was formally delivered in December to the Coast Guard at GSL. Defence Minister Singh on Monday commissioned the ship at GSL, Vasco, in South Goa. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and ICG Director General Paramesh Sivamani were present on the occasion. Singh said this occasion is connected to India's great maritime vision. "India believes tha