Family members of Goa fire victims protesting at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Families of the 25 people killed in the massive fire at a nightclub in Goa staged a protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, demanding justice and a death sentence for those responsible for the tragedy.
Raising slogans such as “hang the killers”, around 50 relatives of the victims gathered at the protest site, holding photographs of their loved ones who died in the blaze at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora village of north Goa on December 6.
The protest was led by Bhavna Joshi, the only survivor from a Delhi family that lost four members in the incident. “We do not want any delay in justice for our family members. Our loss is immense,” said Ms. Joshi, who lost her husband Vinod Joshi and three sisters – Saroj, Anita and Kamla – in the fire.
Left to care for her two children, who study in Classes 3 and 7, Ms. Joshi is also supporting her parents and in-laws. “My parents were dependent on my sister Saroj. Anita had been married for less than a year, and Kamla is survived by her two adolescent children and her in-laws,” she said.
Ms. Joshi also said she has not received support from the government or other organisations. “While the lawyers are supportive, fighting a legal battle comes with an enormous burden. Managing court procedures and family has taken a severe toll on me,” she added.
The protesters demanded that the club’s co-owners, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, be denied bail and awarded the strictest punishment. The police have arrested eight persons, including the Luthra brothers and Ajay Gupta, another co-owner, in the case. The brothers had fled to Thailand after the incident but were deported back to India on December 17. All three are in judicial remand till January 9.
Published – January 05, 2026 01:40 am IST