Goa Chief Secretary will on December 14th hear the appeal filed against the October 20th order passed by Excise Commissioner Narayan Gad in the case pertaining to that controversial ‘Silly Souls Café and Bar’ in Assagao allegedly run by the family of Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani.
In terms of Section 40 of Goa Excise Act an appeal against the Excise Commissioner’s order lies before the Chief Secretary, while a challenge to the Chief Secretary’s order would be before the High Court. The Excise Commissioner in his order had allowed the Excise Licence of Silly Souls Café & Bar which was renewed in a dead man’s name Anthony D’Gama to be now transferred to his widow. That order of the Excise Commissioner has been challenged on 33 grounds as the licence which was obtained illegally and by fraud could not have been transferred in the name of Anthony Dgama’s widow. In the complaint before the Excise Commissioner on 20th July this year, it was pointed out that the Excise licence was issued in January 2021 in the name of Anthony D’Gama illegally and later renewed in his name in June 2022, a year after his demise. Documents were submitted to the effect that the premises where Silly Souls Café & Bar is located was leased to Eightall Food and Beverages by Anthony Dgama with effect from 1st January 2021 for a period of 10 years at a monthly rent of Rs 50,000.The attention of the Excise Commissioner was also drawn that on 05th January 2021 when Anthony Dgama applied for the Excise Licence, the premises was already leased out to Eightall Food and Beverages which is operating in partnership with Ugraya Mercantile Pvt Limited of which Zubin Irani the husband of Smriti Irani is a Director. Documents were also submitted that the GST No 30AAIFE7039H1ZM used by Silly Souls Café & Bar was also in the name of Eightall Food and Beverages as well the Food & Drugs Licence too. Adv. Aires Rodrigues C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.in airesrodrigues1@instagram