Investigators probing the deadly midnight fire at Birch by Romeo Lane in Goa have turned their focus to the club’s owner, after early findings pointed to serious lapses in safety norms and questions over the legality of the structure itself.

The nightclub, built in the backwaters of the Arpora river, is alleged to have been operating without proper construction permissions.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire, which killed 25 people. He said an FIR has been lodged against the nightclub’s owner and general manager, and that arrests would follow. The FIR, however, does not name the accused.

According to the local panchayat chief, the club was run by restaurateur Saurabh Luthra. A LinkedIn profile under his name lists him as chairman of Ro

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