Goa Excise Commissioner disallows complaint filed against restaurant linked by Congress to Union minister Smriti Irani's family

Panaji: Goa Excise Commissioner Narayan Gad on Thursday disallowed a complaint demanding suspension of the excise licence of a restaurant which the Congress claimed was linked to Union minister Smriti Irani's family.

Social activist Aires Rodrigues had filed the complaint against the renewal of excise licence to Silly Souls Café and Bar located at Assagao village in North Goa.

When contacted, Rodrigues said he would challenge the excise commissioner's order before the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court in Panaji.

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 observed that Irani and her daughter are neither owners of the restaurant in Goa nor have they ever applied for the licence for food and beverages at the eatery, as alleged.

Rodrigues had in his complaint mentioned that the excise department renewed the licence of the premises in the name of Anthony DGama in June 2022, despite the fact that he died on May 17, 2021.

He had requested the excise commissioner for immediate suspension of the restaurant's licence and to order an inquiry on the grounds that fraudulent and fabricated documents were produced to obtain the licence.

On Thursday, Excise Commissioner Gad said, "The prayer of the complainant dated July 20, 2022 to suspend/cancel the licence issued to late Anthony DGama for retail sale of liquor under the name and style 'Silly Souls Café and Bar' in the premises situated at Assagao is hereby disallowed. The show cause notice issued on July 21, 2022 is hereby disposed of accordingly."

The commissioner also allowed an application made by Merlyn DGama, wife of late Anthony DGama, to transfer the liquor licences from the name of her late husband in principle, till the final disposal of the inventory proceeding initiated by her in a civil court at Mapusa in North Goa.

The excise commissioner had earlier framed two issues in the matter - whether the excise licence was obtained by submitting false and inadequate documents and misrepresenting facts and whether there were procedural irregularities on the part of excise officials.

The respondents (DGama family) filed a reply on July 28 and an additional response on August 20.