Kazakh national Kristina, who was dancing at the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub when a massive blaze erupted and claimed 25 lives, didn't have the business visa to perform in India, police said on Tuesday.
A video was earlier circulated on social media showing the bursting of electric firecrackers and the blaze appearing from the roof of the nightclub. It shows Kristina, who was performing belly dance, and band members, rushing out in panic as the fire spread rapidly.
A senior police officer at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) told PTI that Kristina, originally from Kazakhstan, had applied for a business visa, but it is not sanctioned yet.
"She had applied for the business visa, but she had yet to get the approval," the officer said, adding that in the absence of such permission, she cannot perform professionally in India.
When contacted, Superintendent of Police (FRRO) Arshi Adil told PTI that they are "still inquiring into whether she had a business visa.
Kristina, who goes by her Instagram name Kristina Sheikh, is a professional dancer with 272,000 followers.
Videos posted on her profile indicate that she had been performing regularly at the nightclub.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered authorities to demolish the illegal 'Romeo Lane' beach shack at Vagator, owned by the fugitive owners of the fire-ravaged nightclub, after completing all formalities on Tuesday.
This shack is the third property owned by Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra. They flew to Thailand just hours after a major fire killed 25 people at the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Arpora around midnight on Saturday.
Interpol has issued a Blue Corner notice against Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, according to the Goa Chief Minister's Office.
A senior CMO official stated that CM Sawant has directed the North Goa district administration to complete all the formalities and demolish the beach shack at Vagator.
"This shack is illegally built on government land. It would be demolished on Tuesday. District administration has kept all the machinery ready," the official said.
After the Saturday night fire tragedy, the district administration sealed this beach shack, and another facility at Assagao in North Goa on Monday
© 2025