Silly Souls bar complaint: Goa Excise Commissioner adjourns hearing to August 22

Goa Excise Commissioner Narayan Gad on Friday began hearing the complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues over the illegally obtained liquor licence by ‘Silly Souls Café and Bar’ allegedly being run by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani’s family at Bhouta Vaddo in Assagao Village.

After hearing the Complainant Adv. Aires Rodrigues and Adv. Benny Nazareth representing the family of the liquor licence holder, the late Anthony DGama, the Excise Commissioner framed two issues for determination of facts. The first issue is whether the excise licence was obtained by submitting false and inadequate documents and by misrepresenting facts. The second issue was whether there were procedural irregularities on the part of the Excise officials.

Directing the licence holder to file their response to the two issues, the Excise Commissioner adjourned the further hearing to August 22. While late Anthony DGama’s son Dean was present for today’s hearing, Adv. Rodrigues drew the attention of the Excise Commissioner that the name of the other existing son Dale has been conveniently suppressed.

Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint had pointed out that though the Excise rules in Goa allow a Bar licence to be issued only to an existing restaurant, the Excise department on 18th February 2021 in rank violation of law issued a licence for the retail sale of Foreign liquor for consumption on the premises along with another licence for the retail sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor and Country liquor to the outlet without the required Restaurant licence is in place.

The complainant Adv. Rodrigues also pointed out that the licence issued in the name of Anthony Dgama was issued despite the Aadhaar card submitted by him showing that he was a resident of Mumbai and that the Aadhaar card was issued only on December 30, 2020, days before the Excise licence application was filed.

Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint further submitted that the Excise licence was issued for this sprawling 1200 sq. mt plush premises being run allegedly by Smriti Irani’s family in rank violation of the law. In his complaint, Adv. Rodrigues also drew the attention of the Excise Commissioner that last month on June 29, the local Excise office at Mapusa in clear contravention of law renewed that Excise licence in the name of Anthony Dgama despite him having passed away last year on May 17, 2021, as per the death certificate issued by the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai which was obtained by Adv. Aires Rodrigues.

In a connected development Adv. Rodrigues has pointed out to the Director of Panchayats that the construction of that Restaurant was also illegal, and Mapusa Block Development Officer has been directed to investigate the matter.

Adv. Rodrigues has also filed a complaint with the Chief Town Planner Rajesh Naik seeking his immediate intervention of the Town & Country Planning department (TCP) into the illegal change of land use and filling of low-lying tenanted field in rank contravention of law to erect the now controversial restaurant allegedly being run by Smriti Irani’s family.