Goan restaurant owners cite Portuguese Civil Code amid Congress attack on Smriti Irani

In a big development, a local Goan family has claimed "exclusive" ownership over the "Silly Souls Cafe and Bar" in Assagao village in North Goa days after Congress claimed that the business was illegally run by Union Minister Smriti Irani's daughter.

Notably, the owners of the business-- Merlyn Anthony D'Gama and her son Dean D'Gama responded to Excise Commissioner Narayan M. Gad's show cause notice on Friday, July 29 and said that the property is "exclusively" their business and "involves no other person/persons." 

In a lawsuit submitted by an activist-lawyer, the licence to operate the upscale eatery, "Silly Souls Cafe and Bar," was purportedly obtained "illegally," and it was renewed this year in the name of a person (Anthony DGama) who passed away in 2021. However, in their defence, the family of the Anthony DGama, in whose name the licence for the restaurant was issued, cited a law from the time of the Portuguese that gives a man's property rights to his wife upon his death and told the authorities that it is entirely their business and no other person is involved in it.

'Restaurant has nothing to do with Iranis': DGama family's lawyer

Benny Nazareth, the lawyer representing the D'Gama family said that as per the Portuguese Civil Code which is still in force in Goa, the ownership of the property is jointly done in the name of husband and wife. "But when the husband dies, the power is automatically transferred to the spouse. So nothing actually needs to be done further," he told reporters, PTI reported.

As per the media reports when asked if the restaurant was connected to Smriti Irani or her family in any way, as claimed by the Congress party, the lawyer responded, "No, absolutely nothing. The owners are the D’Gamas."

Delhi HC sends summons to Congress leaders

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued summons to senior Congress leaders-- Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, and Netta D'souza in a case filed by the Union Minister Smriti Irani over defamatory content posted by them claiming the involvement of Irani's daughter in the Goan restaurant.

The notice stated that the aforementioned people had launched a series of 'scathing and belligerent personal attacks' against Irani and her family 'based on a series of blatant falsehoods and gross misrepresentations' to malign, defame and injure their reputation.

The notice further stated that Congress' allegations against the Union Minister's family were a part of a 'larger conspiracy' to garner political mileage by sensationalizing falsities, misrepresentations, and false narratives. The BJP leader had sought a written unconditional and unequivocal apology from the Congress leaders and unconditional withdrawal of all false information from social media platforms.

(With input from PTI)