NEW DELHI: Police on Monday detained another manager linked to the tragic Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire in Goa that claimed 25 lives.The accused was identified as Bharat. According to police, he used to run daily operation of Birch by Romeo Lane at the club.

Owner still abscondingThe owner of Birch by Romeo Lane, Saurabh Luthra, remains absconding following the devastating fire at his Arpora nightclub on Saturday night, which claimed 25 lives and injured six others. Until last year, Luthra had aimed to launch 50 restaurants across India, but his weekend property turned into the site of one of Goa’s worst nightlife tragedies.

Saurabh Luthra

Luthra’s LinkedIn profile lists him as ‘Chairman at Romeo Lane, Birch and Mama’s Buoi’. Activist Tahir Noronha described him as “like a ghost,” saying he rarely stays in Goa and often avoids legal proceedings, sending representatives in his place.“He is out of touch with the impact of his ventures,” Noronha said. Socialites and staff also described him as aloof; Jayesh Diukar, a kitchen staffer who survived the fire, said Luthra visited the club only once a month and rarely interacted with employees.At least 100-200 persons were on the dance floor of a nightclub in North Goa when a fire broke out there, and in an attempt to escape, some of them ran downstairs to its kitchen where they got trapped along with the staff.While the state police said the blaze occurred at the nightclub due to a cylinder blast after midnight on Sunday, some of the eyewitnesses claimed the fire started on the club’s first floor, where tourists were dancing.Most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, and included three women, chief minister Pramod Sawant said. There were “three to four tourists” among those killed, he added.“There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” Fatima Shaikh, a tourist from Hyderabad, told PTI at Arpora in the wee hours of Sunday.

Top stocks to buy (AI image)

Stock market recommendations: According to Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, the top stock picks for the week (starting December 8, 2025) are Safari Industries, and JSW Steel. Let’s take a look:

Safari IndustriesSafari Industries is consolidating its position as one of India’s fastest-growing luggage players, supported by a broad product portfolio, strong omnichannel reach, and expanding in-house manufacturing. Its emphasis on e-commerce and modern trade—combined with rapid growth of exclusive stores and deeper penetration into tier-2 and tier-3 cities—has created a solid demand engine. Improved efficiencies and backward integration at the Jaipur plant are strengthening cost management and aiding margin expansion. The company’s rising share in hard luggage and the premium Urban Jungle and SI-Select ranges reflects successful premiumization. With steady monthly store additions and increasing plant utilization, Safari is scaling smoothly. Despite competitive intensity in soft luggage, its focused execution, digital capabilities, and strengthening premium positioning support durable growth, healthy profitability, and expanding leadership in India’s organized luggage market.JSW SteelJSW Steel’s move to place Bhushan Power & Steel into a 50:50 joint venture with JFE Steel reflects a strategic pivot toward better capital efficiency and a technology-driven upgrade of its value-added steel offerings. The restructuring unlocks significant value created through the BPSL turnaround, demonstrated by the INR320b cash inflow and INR350b reduction in consolidated debt, enhancing JSW’s financial flexibility as it targets 50mtpa capacity by FY31. Access to JFE’s advanced steelmaking expertise, combined with a cleaner corporate structure post–slump sale, supports stronger governance and product capability. BPSL’s 4.5mtpa Odisha operations, now part of the JV, continue to benefit from post-acquisition efficiency gains, with the INR530b enterprise valuation reflecting fair value realization. With steel spreads expected to improve, EBITDA/t on an upward trajectory, and net-debt-to-EBITDA likely easing toward 1.7x by FY27, the transaction bolsters JSW Steel’s balance sheet and strategic headroom ahead of major capacity expansions.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

Market analysts anticipate consolidation with an upward trend, backed by RBI’s monetary policy, consistent domestic fund flows. (AI image)

Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened flat in trade on Monday. While Nifty50 was above 25,150, BSE Sensex was near 86,650. At 9:19 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 26,157.10, down 29 points or 0.11%. BSE Sensex was at 85,661.37, down 51 points or 0.060%.Market analysts anticipate consolidation with an upward trend, backed by RBI’s monetary policy, consistent domestic fund flows and growing likelihood of a US Federal Reserve rate reduction.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “Emerging positive and negative news have the potential to keep the market volatile in the near-term. Robust economic growth and indications of earnings growth revival are supportive of markets. The massive fiscal and monetary stimulus to the economy this year has contributed to sharp revival in GDP growth as evidenced by the 8.2% Q2 GDP growth print, and RBI’s upward revision of FY 26 GDP growth to 7.3% augurs well for the market. Low GDP deflator, consequent to low inflation, has impacted nominal GDP growth and corporate earnings growth. But from the leading indicators it is clear that about 15% earnings growth is achievable in FY 27. This is positive for the market.”“However, there are strong negatives, too, which can impact the market. Sustained depreciation of the rupee has been forcing FIIs to sell in the market continuously. Another major factor is the spike in Japanese bond yields which can trigger another bout of reversal of yen carry trade. In brief, there is potential for high volatility.”US markets recorded moderate gains on Friday, influenced by economic indicators that strengthened predictions of a Federal Reserve rate reduction next week. Post the 43-day governmental closure, investors evaluated delayed reports whilst examining secondary economic indicators. Commerce Department data revealed September’s consumer spending, comprising over two-thirds of US economic activity, increased 0.3%, matching Reuters poll predictions, while August’s growth was adjusted downward to 0.5%.Asian equities began cautiously as investors assess worsening China-Japan diplomatic relations, numerous central bank announcements and overall risk asset prospects for the upcoming year.Crude oil prices remained at two-week peak levels on Monday, with investors anticipating a Federal Reserve interest rate reduction this week.On Friday, foreign portfolio investors recorded net sales of Rs 438.9 crore. Domestic institutional investors showed net purchases of Rs 4,189 crore.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

L-R: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Dhruv Jurel (PTI Photo)

India have played most of their ODI cricket in subcontinental pitches over the last 18 months. With very few ODIs to be played before the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, team management knows it will have to rethink its combination. TOI looks at a few points…Winning an ODI series at home is usually routine for India. That said, the emphatic win in Vizag on Sunday must have soothed the bruised egos in the Indian dressing room after an ODI series loss in Australia and then enduring a whitewash in a home Test series against South Africa.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Thus, it was not surprising to see ever-combative head coach Gautam Gambhir retort to the critics after sealing the series. He is usually ultraprotective of the way his team plays its cricket. For once, he alluded to the fact that the ODI team is yet to take its absolute shape looking ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup. There are another three ODIs scheduled at home this season before the team management gets in full swing to prepare for the mega event in South Africa in Oct-Nov in 2027 once the T20 World Cup in Feb-March is over. Hence, Gambhir made it a point to highlight that the conditions in the World Cup will be distinctly different.

Rohit-Kohli success, lower middle-order balance issuesOver the last six ODIs, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have done enough to establish that they still make for the strong core of this ODI setup. Demonstrating an insatiable appetite for runs, the two seniors have said why it won’t be easy to move on from them in the immediate future.If one has to put a finger on a glaring issue in this ODI setup, it would be a relatively unsettled lower middle-order. India’s lack of firepower in the backend of the innings has been evident. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar’s powerhitting has been questionable.The experiment with Ruturaj Gaikwad batting at No. 4 in place of an injured Shreyas Iyer may have paid off, but the propensity to shuffle batters in different positions appears a bit unsettling at the outset. Gambhir maintained that set batting orders are over-hyped in white-ball cricket.

Former national selector Devang Gandhi warned the consequences could be very harsh much like it happened in the 2019 World Cup. “As long as Kohli and Rohit are around, the planning has to revolve around them. The management must stick to a pool of not more than 20 players now. Leading up to the 2019 World Cup, no one was given enough chances to settle down at No. 4. When the top order imploded in the semifinal, no one was ready. The same happened in the 2023 World Cup, when the team management was forced to play Suryakumar Yadav who didn’t have a good ODI record,” Gandhi told TOI.“Someone like Rishabh Pant has not played a match. If KL Rahul suffers an injury during the World Cup, Pant or any other wicketkeeper must have enough game time. In 2019, Pant came in with the experience of just five ODIs. If there is a scope to play both Pant and Rahul together, there’s no harm in it. And if they have identified Gaikwad as Iyer’s backup, then it should remain that way,” he added.Balancing the allrounders and finding an extra pacerGambhir’s tenure as head coach has seen India play most of their ODIs in sub-continental conditions. Prasidh Krishna’s inconsistency was becoming a major talking point until he was able to come back strongly in the last ODI. Jasprit Bumrah aside, the pace reserves lack experience at the moment. Mohammed Siraj’s omission did raise eyebrows. Harshit Rana has become important to firming up a plan. “That’s one of the reasons why we are trying to develop someone like Harshit, who can contribute at No. 8. That’s how we need to find the balance, because in South Africa, we would be needing three seamers,” Gambhir said.Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta feels depending heavily on Hardik Pandya could be risky. “If Hardik is around, he will solve a lot of problems. But you have to be prepared for a situation where Hardik isn’t fit. Someone has to be groomed to handle the middle overs with as much impact with the bat,” Dasgupta reckoned. “Till now they were playing with three spinners and three pacers with a spinner batting up the order. Now they have to prepare for an attack of six bowlers with four seamers. Maybe they can try Siraj as backup pacer,” he added.Gandhi concurred with Dasgupta. “In South Africa, you will need a proper batter in top 5 on bouncier pitches. That’s why I feel someone like Rahul should bat a little higher. Kohli was comfortable with five solid bowling options in 2019.”

US President Donald Trump on Sunday raised concerns about the recent Hollywood deal that shook up the media landscape, Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros. The US president, speaking to the media while arriving for the Kennedy Center Honors awards ceremony on Sunday, said that the proposed multi-billion-dollar acquisition raised concerns about market dominance. The streaming service, he argued, already commands significant power in the sector. Netflix has “a very large market share” and “it could be a problem.” He further hinted that the White House would be tied to deal, “I’ll be involved in that decision.”These remarks come as federal authorities weigh whether the nearly $83 billion deal should be allowed to proceed amid pushback from within Hollywood, where the prospect of further consolidation has triggered antitrust concerns.Despite the caution, Trump offered warm words for Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who met him at the White House recently, saying “he’s done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies.”The takeover would hand Netflix control of HBO Max in addition to Warner Bros. studios, the home of titles ranging from “Casablanca” and “Citizen Kane” to recent box-office juggernaut “Barbie.” In case the agreement stands as proposed, the streaming platform would also take possession of world-famous franchises including Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings saga and DC Studios’ superheroes: Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman among them.However, the deal excludes Warner Bros.’ linear television channels. Discovery, CNN and other broadcast properties would be separated from the company before any sale is finalised.Warner Bros. Discovery announced in October that it was open to a sale after fielding multiple unsought bids. Netflix emerged ahead of rival interest from Comcast and from Paramount Skydance, the media business led by David Ellison, a figure known to be a major supporter of Trump.

BENGALURU: Builders must insure common areas or risk footing the bill for disaster repairs – that is the message from Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-Rera).In a recent order, the authority directed the developers of an apartment complex on Kanakapura Road to furnish all insurance documents for the project within 30 days, while partly allowing a complaint linked to a fire that damaged the clubhouse of Block 4.The case arose from a fire on Jan 30, 2024, when resident Dhananjaya noticed smoke coming from the clubhouse. The blaze destroyed the ladies’ washroom and sauna facility. He told the tribunal that no repair or restoration work was taken up despite repeated requests.

He further said that although all blocks were ready, the promoter had not formed the association of allottees or transferred the common areas as required under Rera. They also alleged that the promoter had not shared any insurance details under Section 16, raising concern about whether the clubhouse had any cover at all. Dhananjaya filed a complaint on May 4, 2024, seeking directions to restore the damaged clubhouse and hand over all insurance documents to the association.Insurance must for common areas: PanelThe builders rejected all claims. They said the clubhouse and shared amenities were handed over to the apartment owners’ association on Nov 2, 2019. Once that transfer was completed, responsibility for safety and maintenance rested with the association, not the promoter.The builders relied on an inquiry commissioned by the association, which found that the fire was caused by overheating of the sauna heater and not by any structural or electrical defect. They pointed out that the complainant had not named the association as a party to the case despite its role in day-to-day upkeep.After examining the submissions, the tribunal accepted the findings of the inquiry report and held that the promoter cannot be directed to carry out repairs for an incident that occurred years after handover.However, the panel drew a firm line on the insurance lapse. It noted that the promoter had not submitted any insurance policies, premium receipts, or records showing transfer of insurance benefits to the association, all of which are mandatory under Section 16 of Rera. It observed that “insurance for common areas is mandatory under Rera”, adding that residents cannot be left to bear losses that should have been insured against.

Music composer Palash Muchhal and cricketer Smriti Mandhana were supposed to get married on November 24, 2025. However, just a few hours ahead of the wedding, the ceremony was postponed, as Smriti’s father had a health scare and was hospitalised. A day later, Palash was also hospitalised, reportedly owing to chest pain and trouble breathing. For days, several speculations were circulating regarding whether there would be a wedding or not. On Sunday, in separate statements, both Palash Mucchal and Smriti Mandhana clarified that their wedding has been called off. Following the clarification, the composer Palash Muchhal has deleted the proposal video from his social media handle.

Palash Muchhal deletes the proposal video and the World Cup-winning celebration video with Smriti Mandhana

After releasing the statement that the wedding has been called off, Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana unfollowed each other on social media. Smriti deleted all pictures and clips of their pre-wedding festivities, along with the proposal video and other posts. And now, Palash Mucchal has deleted posts with Smriti Mandhana – the proposal video and the World Cup victory celebration clip. However, he hasn’t removed all the posts as of now. The composer has been receiving hate from the netizens in the comment section of the posts that are still available on his account.

Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana’s wedding called off – Official statements

Putting a rest to all the rumours surrounding their marriage, Palash Muchhal on Sunday shared a statement on social media that read, “I have decided to move on in my life and step back from my personal relationship.”

“It’s been very difficult for me to see people react so easily on baseless rumours about something which has been most sacred to me. It’s the most difficult phase of my life, and I will deal with it gracefully, holding on to my beliefs. I truly hope we, as a society, learn to pause before judging someone based on unverified gossip, whose sources are never identified. Our words can wound in ways we may never understand,” he concluded.Smriti also shared a statement confirming that the wedding has been called off. She wrote, “Over the past few weeks, there has been plenty of speculation around my life, and I feel it is important for me to speak out at this time. I am a very private person, and I would like to keep it that way, but I need to clarify that the wedding is called off.” “I would like to close this matter here and implore all of you to do the same. I request you to please respect the privacy of both families at this time and allow us the space to process and move on at our own pace,” she added.

“I believe there is a higher purpose driving us all, and for me, that has always been representing my country at the highest level. I hope to continue to play and win trophies for India for as long as possible, and that is where my focus will forever be. Thank you for all your support. It’s time to move forward,” she concluded.

Goa nightclub inferno (Picture credit: PTI)

PANAJI: Tragedy struck Goa’s popular after-hours party scene just before midnight on Saturday, killing 25 people – five of them tourists – and injuring six inside a nightclub in Arpora that turned into a fireball within seconds of electric firecrackers hitting the wooden ceiling of the first floor as a belly-dancer performed.The victims in the blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane, 16km from Panaji, included four of a family from UP’s Ghaziabad. Of the injured, five are being treated at Goa Medical College and Hospital. Police said 150 guests were at the club for the weekend event.DGP Alok Kumar said four club staffers – chief general manager Rajiv Modak, gate manager Priyanshu Thakur, bar manager Rajveer Singhania, and general manager Vivek Singh – were arrested. Goa Police registered an FIR against the club’s Delhi-based owners, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, charging them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. A police team is in Delhi with a warrant to arrest the duo.

CM Pramod Sawant said his government instituted a magisterial inquiry to find out the lapses that resulted in the tragedy and submit a report within a week.The BJP govt also suspended three officials – ex-director of panchayats Siddhi Halarnkar, ex-state pollution control board member secretary Shamila Monteiro, and former Arpora-Nagoa panchayat secretary Reghuvir Bagkar – for allegedly allowing the nightclub to function without adhering to safety norms.The blaze occurred around 11.45 pm, with a portion of the ceiling catching fire. As flames coursed through the roof overhead, the guests and performers bolted. While most of them were able to step out of the club, those trapped inside reached the basement after the exit caught fire.23 died in basement ‘due to suffocation’, 2 bodies found on stairsCM Pramod Sawant said the chief secretary and DGP Alok Kumar would initiate disciplinary action against the suspended officials. The CM dismissed initial suspicion of a cylinder blast, saying a preliminary investigation by police and fire services department suggested electric firecrackers triggered the blaze. “The fire spread quickly because of the wooden ceiling,” he said.Of the victims, 23 died in the basement of suspected suffocation. Police found the bodies in a pile. Two charred bodies were on the staircase. The basement does not have ventilation.

Sawant said except for the five tourists who died, the deceased were employees of the club – from Assam, Bengal, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, UP and Nepal. Postmortem was conducted on 17 bodies by evening; five were handed over to families. State government sealed Romeo Lane at Vagator, a nightclub belonging to the same owners, after an inquiry revealed inadequate fire-safety measures.PM Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh in ex gratia to the next of kin of each of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.CM Sawant separately declared Rs 5 lakh in compensation for each death and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on Sunday dismissed reports suggesting it had asked lenders to halt financing for renewable energy projects, saying no such advisory has been issued to financial institutions, PTI reported.In a statement, the ministry said it has not directed banks or other lenders to stop extending loans to renewable power projects or to renewable energy equipment manufacturing facilities. “It is hereby clarified that MNRE has not issued any advisory to financial institutions for stopping lending to either renewable energy power projects or to renewable energy equipment manufacturing facilities,” it said.The clarification comes amid media reports claiming that the ministry had cautioned lenders against fresh financing due to concerns around overcapacity in the sector.MNRE said it has only shared information on the current status of domestic manufacturing capacity in the solar photovoltaic (PV) segment with the Department of Financial Services and non-banking financial companies such as PFC, REC and IREDA. This, it said, is intended to help financial institutions take a calibrated and well-informed view while evaluating proposals for financing solar PV manufacturing facilities.The ministry reiterated that the government remains committed to making India self-reliant in solar PV manufacturing and positioning the country as a significant player in the global value chain. This push is being supported through initiatives such as the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for high-efficiency solar PV modules and measures aimed at providing a level-playing field for domestic manufacturers.These interventions have led to a sharp expansion in solar module manufacturing capacity, which has risen from 2.3 GW in 2014 to around 122 GW enlisted in MNRE’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), the ministry said.MNRE added that it will continue engaging with stakeholders to ensure India’s renewable energy transition remains inclusive, competitive and future-ready.India, the statement noted, has already achieved 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, five years ahead of the target set under its nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement. As of October 31, 2025, installed non-fossil capacity stood at about 259 GW, with 31.2 GW added so far in the current financial year.