log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2026 GOA GOA Toronto spreads wings to East End Goans from Conservative party to contest council polls in UK - 3 IN SHORT >> Court clears Kejriwal, Sisodia in liquor case NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday discharged former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the politically charged liquor policy case, pulling up the Central Bureau of Investigation by saying it found no 'overarching conspiracy or criminal intent' in the policy.  >> See pg 9 AAP ready for pact with RGP: Venzy PANAJI: The Aam Aadmi Party's Benaulim MLA, Venzy Viegas on Friday signaled his party's readiness for an unconditional alliance with the Revolutionary Goans Party. Viegas said that his party has responded positively to RGP chief Manoj Parab’s appeal for alliances.  >> See pg 3 Clearance drive paves way for Shirgao Zatra BICHOLIM: Acting on directives of the North Goa district collector and under the supervision of the Bicholim taluka mamlatdar, authorities carried out a drive on Friday to remove encroachments along the main road in Shirgao ahead of the forthcoming Lairai Devi zatra.   >> See pg 3 Man kills wife in Saligao, surrenders PORVORIM: A 40-year-old man from Gadag-Karnataka but residing at Muddawado-Saligao surrendered to Saligao police after he is alleged to have murdered his wife in their rented house at Saligao. Police said he and his wife Rukmini (36) had frequent arguments over financial issues.  >> See pg 5 Pakistan bombs Kabul, Kandahar; 130 killed ISLAMABAD: Pakistan launched a retaliatory operation in response to the alleged border attacks by the Afghan Taliban, saying it has killed over 130 Taliban fighters. Operation Ghazab lil Haq commenced late Thursday night after the Afghan Taliban allegedly launched attacks on several border posts. The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 251 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 14 2 6 High-security QR labels Birch blaze probe under lens, must on liquor bottles top officials escape charges Conspiracy angle in murder at Sunni masjid under court scanner Page 8 Facebook.com/thegoan GOA House tax arrears cast shadow, burden on new council Panjimites will elect SPORTS LIFE England tops group after late fireworks Tiatr’s timeless legacy and the push for global recognition THE GOAN I NETWORK SUSPENDED SENIOR BUREAUCRATS NAMED ONLY AS WITNESSES AGNELO PEREIRA THE GOAN I MAPUSA More than two months after the devastating blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane, the 4,350page chargesheet filed by Anjuna Police has raised as many questions as it claims to answer. While former Arpora-Nagoa panchayat secretary Raghuvir Bagkar and ex-sarpanch Roshan Redkar are the only two public officials named as accused in the chargesheet in connection with the deadly fire that claimed 23 lives in the basement alone, no other government officials have been arraigned – despite serious questions over how the controversial nightclub secured multiple permissions. Suspensions without prosecution In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the State government had moved swiftly to suspend then Director/Additional Director of Panchayats Siddhi Harlankar and the then Member Secretary of the Goa State Pollution Control Board Shamila Monteiro. The effectively ruling out any violation under coastal laws. The finding was significant because the property is widely believed to be located on or near a salt pan – a category of land that typically attracts environmental scrutiny. Desai’s conclusion that the structures were “entirely legal” under CRZ norms had paved the way for the club’s continued operations. MAPUSA COURT GRANTS BAIL TO EX-SARPANCH, FORMER SECRETARY IN BIRCH FIRE CASE >> See pg 3 nightclub had received key permissions during their respective tenures. However, neither Harlankar nor Monteiro figure as accused in the chargesheet. Police sources confirmed that both officials were questioned during the course of the investigation. “We have called both the officials for inquiry and taken their statements which are at- tached to the chargesheet,” a senior police officer associated with the probe said. Their statements form part of the voluminous chargesheet as annexures. Yet, investigators stopped short of naming them as accused. Both officials continue to remain under suspension. The CRZ clean chit Equally intriguing is the role of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA). Barely two weeks before the fatal fire, GCZMA’s Member Secretary Sachin Desai had concluded that the structures housing the high-end nightclub did not fall within the Coastal Regulation Zone, 24 properties across Bardez seized in money trail probe ED PROHIBITS SALE, TRANSFER, GIFTING OR MORTGAGE OF ATTACHED PROPERTIES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Panaji Zonal Office, has taken possession of 24 immovable properties across Bardez taluka under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The action follows a Provisional Attachment Order dated April 25, 2025, which was subsequently confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority under the Act. According to the ED, the attached properties are located in Assagao, Calangute, Parra, Nerul, Anjuna and Mapusa, and include sizeable land parcels. All concerned persons ED attaches property of absconding Goan involved in `100-crore investment fraud case >> See pg 3 have been restrained from transferring, selling, gifting, mortgaging or creating any third-party rights over the said properties. The agency has further directed that any lease amount or rent generated from these properties must be deposited in favour of the ED through a demand draft, pending further proceedings. The move is part of the agency’s action under the an- ti-money laundering law. In September, last year, ED had provisionally attached another 15 properties in Bardez itself in connection with a multi-crore land fraud case. The properties are located in Revora, Anjuna, Mapusa, Nadora, Camurlim, and Parra. According to investigators, the assets were fraudulently acquired through a network of forged wills, fabricated genealogies, and manipulated inventory records, allowing powerful interests and outsiders to illegitimately transfer ownership “on paper.” Investigators have termed the operation as a systematic case of “land laundering,” where Goa’s land was exploited for channeling black money. Permissions through dubious means? According to documents reviewed during the investigation, several approvals granted to the nightclub are alleged to have been obtained through questionable representations and procedural shortcuts. Yet, beyond the panchayat-level functionaries, no higher-level scrutiny appears to have translated into criminal liability. Legal observers point out that in cases involving regulatory clearances, culpability often extends beyond the final signatory. “Approvals don’t materialise in isolation. Files move through multiple desks. If there were irregularities, accountability must be traced along the entire chain,” said a senior advocate familiar with regulatory prosecutions. Investigation under lens PANAJI The government has notified the Goa Excise Duty (Amendment) Rules, 2026, mandating high-security excise adhesive labels on all liquor bottles sold in the State in a bid to curb smuggling, counterfeiting and other illegalities. Under the amended rules, manufacturers, bottling units and registered importers are required to affix tamper-ev- ident, non-reusable labels embedded with unique serial numbers and QR or Data Matrix codes linked to an electronic track-and-trace system. Manufacturers must affix labels during working hours in the presence of Excise Officer and their representative. Importers may undertake affixation either at the exporting source or at their warehouse or licensed premises. No liquor bottle can be cleared without the mandatory label. Though the chargesheet has now been placed before the trial court, the probe itself is coming under scrutiny. Critics argue that the investigation appears to have focused narrowly on local-level functionaries while avoiding a deeper examination of institutional responsibility. Police officials maintain that the charges are based strictly on available evidence. “The investigation is evidence-driven. Whoever against whom sufficient material was found has been named,” an officer said. Yet, the conspicuous absence of certain names – especially those who were administratively suspended in the wake of the disaster – has intensified debate over whether accountability in the Birch fire tragedy has truly climbed the ladder, or stopped at its lowest rung. 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