Senior BJP Leader Says Corruption Has Breached All Limits In Goa, Stunning Tale is Viral

New Delhi: In a major revelation on Republic TV, senior BJP leader and former Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar has gone viral after he openly admitted that corruption in Goa has crossed all limits. Speaking exclusively to Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, Parulekar said, “Yes, sir, there has been corruption. Yes, yes. There has been corruption.”  

He went on to say that the problem is now much deeper than before, adding, 

“The government has always been corrupt. It has always been corrupt. It has always been corrupt. We were also a government under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar. But there has never been corruption like this. It has never been like this.”

 

Revealing the spread of bribery in the system, he said,

 “What is happening now is that the secretary below is also asking for money. He is asking for hafta.”

The revelations follow the devastating fire at Arpora's Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub on December 6, which claimed 25 lives.

The incident highlights how several restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, and lounges in Goa are running without proper licenses or safety checks, allegedly due to corruption and bribery. The tragedy has sparked concerns that if officials continue to disregard regulations, further occurrences of this nature might occur.

Republic Sting Exposes Scale Of Corruption In Goa

Adding to the controversy, a Republic TV sting operation caught BJP MLA Michael Lobo speaking about how the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub received licenses from multiple government agencies, including the fire department, pollution control board, FDA, and electricity department, even though it did not meet the required norms.

He added that the nightclub had received a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the local Panchayat. Lobo questioned how these clearances could have been given without adequate verification. 

He said that every department should have inspected the place before giving approvals. Lobo was not aware that he was being filmed throughout the operation, but he refrained from making an official on-camera statement because of the pending magistrate's investigation.

Nightclub Owners Fled After the Fire

The nightclub's proprietors, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, left India following the fire. In Delhi's Rohini Court, they requested anticipatory transit bail, but the court turned them down.

Judge Vandana of Additional Sessions denied their requests, indicating that they would not receive protection from arrest. After a week-long international manhunt, the Luthra brothers were apprehended shortly after their escape. After the Goa Police cancelled their passports and worked with foreign teams, they were taken into custody in Phuket, Thailand, with assistance from Thai officials.

The India-Thailand treaty's extradition procedures are currently in progress. While the Arpora fire investigation is ongoing, the brothers are facing significant allegations, including culpable homicide.