Darjeeling, December 09 (Siliguri Chronicle) – Subash Chhetri, 23, who died in the Goa nightclub fire, had been planning a trip home to Darjeeling district in March, his sister said on Monday.
Subash had moved to Goa for work in January last year, leaving behind his 55-year-old mother, Tankamaya Chhetri, at their home in Banurchhat, a small village about 30km from Siliguri.
“He had begun looking for work after completing his higher secondary from a Nepali-medium school in Naxalbari,” Urmila, his elder sister, said.
“With the help of an acquaintance, he went to Goa in January last year and joined the nightclub’s kitchen.”
She added: “He wanted to visit home during Dasain (in September-October this year), but the flight fares were too high. He then changed his plans and said he would come home in March next year. We received the heartbreaking news on Sunday.”
Subash is thought to be the only resident from Bengal to have lost his life in the fire that erupted early Sunday morning at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa. Among the 25 people who died in the tragedy, 20 were members of the staff.
According to Urmila, after she got married and shifted to Kalimpong in 2019, Subash began taking on small jobs to manage his own needs and support their mother.
After Subash moved to Goa for work, Urmila’s husband, Somom Lepcha, made frequent visits to his mother-in-law, who stayed alone at the family home, to ensure she had help when needed.
When reports of the nightclub fire surfaced on Sunday, neighbours and acquaintances urged the family to find out whether Subash was safe. His mobile phone continued to ring, but no one responded on the other end.
“Later, his name appeared on the list of the dead,” Urmila said, fighting back tears. “My husband has travelled to Goa to bring his remains back home.”
Sources said Somom was busy tending to the formalities in Goa. “We expect him to bring Subash’s body here tomorrow,” a villager said.
