Mapusa: The families of those killed in the fire at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora have decided to demand that the investigation and trial in the case be fast-tracked.
Members of the Joshi family, who lost four of their loved ones in the fire, along with a group from Jharkhand, arrived near the local court in Mapusa demanding a fast-track investigation and trial in the case.
A total of 25 people were killed in the fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora on December 6.
One of the family members said she saw her relatives suffocate to death in the fire and questioned what fault they had committed. She said it was impossible to imagine the trauma of retrieving four bodies of one’s own family members from the site of the tragedy. She was speaking to reporters outside the Mapusa court along with other family members.
Bhavana lost her husband and three sisters in the fire.
She said that they had arrived at the nightclub barely 10 to 15 minutes before the incident occurred and that her husband was busy calming people when the fire broke out. Bhavana was the only member of the group who survived.
She said she was pushed out during the stampede and was saved, but when she attempted to go back to search for her family members, she was stopped. She added that there were no efforts by the club to extinguish the fire.
She said there were no fire extinguishers and that people were trying to control the blaze by throwing water using wine glasses and later bottles.
Bhavana said that after the incident, the family has been pushed into crisis and is facing financial difficulties. She said they belong to a middle-class background and had saved money for the Goa trip.
Another family member accompanying Bhavana said they had come to Goa twice in the last month to follow up on the case. He added that a lawyer, who is a well-wisher of the family, has volunteered to fight the case without charging any fees.
Vikas Munda from Jharkhand, whose brother died in the fire, said he learned about the incident the following morning.
He said the families want justice and that the accused should not be spared.
Munda is among several persons from Jharkhand whose relatives were killed in the fire.
Goa Police have arrested eight persons, including three owners of the club, in connection with the case. Another owner, Surinder Khosla, is still absconding.
