Days afterO Heraldo published its report — “Nightclubs defy SC order with loud music in Vagator, Anjuna” on July 7, 2025 — the Anjuna Police registered an FIR against the manager of Club Diaz. Meanwhile, the club announced on social media: “We’re closed for maintenance.”
Residents living near the club, however, remain unconvinced. They say they’ve been repeatedly misled by empty promises, despite the club operating even after its licence was suspended — more than once.
“I am 75 years old and at this age, I have had to go out in the middle of the night to protest against the loud music because I am being deprived of my sleep. Despite promises from our MLA and others, they keep blasting the music,” said an upset Wayne Pereira.
Pereira, along with fellow resident Agnes D’Souza, has now approached the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court. In their petition, they’ve prayed that the premises be sealed “for carrying out commercial trade in the illegal structures falling in survey no. 509/1 and 509/1-A of Anjuna village and are occupying the same without an Occupancy Certificate which is mandatory under Section 3.11 of the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations Act 2010.”
“What Occupancy Certificate was we supposed to issue to them when we had actually given them a demolition order and they kept hiding under some excuse or the other? They once told us that theirs was a temporary structure,” said Anjuna Sarpanch Laximidas Chimulkar.
The petitioners allege that despite several complaints, government agencies chose to look the other way. The petition highlights that not only were “illegal commercial operations being carried out,” but that the “illegal structures are also violating the noise pollution guidelines and the same is in violation of the directives of the High Court in PIL Writ Petition No. 16/2023, 17/2023, and 10/2024.”
“The petitioners had brought it to the notice of the respondent State authorities of the ongoing hill cutting beyond the permissible gradient as allowed under the Town and Country Planning Act,” states the petition, argued by High Court advocate Rohit Bras D’Sa.
“Apart from the loud music that does not allow my child to study throughout the year, there have been many occasions when I could not take her to school as the entrance of my gate was blocked by vehicles of party-goers parked right in front,” said petitioner Agnes D’Souza.
“They first build where they should not. Then they operate without proper licences and then think that they can treat us locals as though we have no right to live normally,” she added.
The petition also criticises the inaction of the Command Area Development Board, which allegedly ignored violations within its jurisdiction, branding such inaction as “discriminatory, illegal, violative of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India and therefore unconstitutional.”
“Tum kisi ko bulao. Hamko kaun nahi lagta. Ham mangta vo karega. (You call anyone you want. I do not care. I will do what I want.) This is the language of the owners of the place, and that is why, even after being suspended by GSPCB, they keep blasting music all night,” said local resident Ana Fernandes.
“There was a time when they said they would build houses for five or six people, and when I told him there are over a hundred families living around, he kept quiet. They say, ‘If we are wrong, then why isn’t the local minister stopping us? It’s because they are with me’,” added Fernandes.
Villagers believe that the club’s closure notice and the FIR against the manager are mere attempts to mislead the judiciary ahead of the next hearing of Contempt Petition No. 12/2023, scheduled for July 14.
“I work from home and sometimes it is impossible for me, and since they think they can fool all the people all the time, I am sure our petition will silence them forever,” said Roy Cedric, with hope.