The second hearing of a complaint against a restaurant in Goa, which the Congress claimed was related to the daughter of Union Minister Smriti Irani, will be held before the state excise commissioner here on Monday. The first hearing was held on July 29 by Excise Commissioner Narayan Gad, who issued a notice to Silly Souls Cafe & Bar in North Goa’s Assagao.
Irani had filed a civil defamation suit against three Congress leaders for linking her daughter’s name to the restaurant. The Delhi High Court had held that Irani and her daughter are neither owners of restaurants in Goa nor have they ever applied for license for food and beverages, as alleged. Social activist Ayers Rodrigues filed a complaint on June 29, alleging that the excise office in Mapusa illegally renewed the restaurant’s product license in the name of a deceased man—Anthony DeGama.
The complaint states that Degama died on May 17, 2021, and cited a death certificate issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. During the first hearing of the complaint, held on 29 July, the Excise Commissioner set two issues for determination—whether the excise license was obtained by Anthony DeGama by submitting false, insufficient documents and misrepresenting facts, and whether the excise officials There were procedural irregularities.
The Djima family has been directed to file a reply in this regard. According to the complainant, though the Excise Rules allow only licensed restaurants to issue bar licenses, the Excise Department issued the license on February 18, 2021 without the required restaurant license in violation of the rules.
The complainant stated that the license was issued in the name of Anthony DeGama while he was a resident of Mumbai and the Aadhaar card was issued only on December 30, 2020, a few days before the application for the excise license was filed. went. The activist had also alleged that mandatory police verification was not done. Anthony DeGama’s family lawyer, Benny Nazareth, cited provisions in the Portuguese Civil Code that said that when one spouse dies, his or her powers – in this case a liquor license – automatically pass to the partner. are transferred.
During the first hearing in the case, Degama’s family members had told the authorities that it was entirely their job and no other person was involved.
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