As union minister Smriti Irani today scrambled to defend her daughter Zoish, who’s in the eye of storm over allegedly producing a ‘fabricated’ license for a restaurant and bar in Goa, lawyer Aires Rodrigues, who had originally registered the complaint against the restaurant, said people would “know about the ghost who runs the show”. Along with his reply, Mr Rodrigues also attached a video of her daughter’s interview in which she’s seen claiming that she owns the restaurant.
According to reports, the daughter of Union Minister Smriti Irani, in North Goa’s Asagaon, wrongly tried to renew the liquor license in the name of a person who died a long time ago. On 21 July, Goa’s Excise Commissioner, Narayan M Gad, issued a show cause notice to Silly Souls Cafe and Bar run by Zoish Irani based on a complaint filed by lawyer Ares Rodrigues. Ares Rodrigues has alleged that “fraudulent and fabricated documents were produced” to obtain a liquor license.
Earlier, Ms Irani had said that her daughter is 18 years old, a first-year college student and does not run any bar. She dared the opposition party to show any proof of her daughter’s wrongdoing.
Aires Rodrigues, taking to Facebook, said: “The whole world knows that this up market ‘Silly Souls Café and Bar’ is managed and run by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani’s family at Bhouta Vaddo in Assagao Village at Goa. And there is enough evidence to this effect.”
Smriti Irani had earlier claimed her daughter’s name was not mentioned either in the RTI response or Excise department’s notice. Rebutting the claim, Mr Rodrigues said: “The show cause notice issued by the Excise Commissioner has been served on the Bar & Restaurant, so at the hearing on July 29th we would know about the ghost who runs the show.”
Mr Rodrigues did not stop there and claimed that Ms Irani’s family owns other prime properties in the tourists’ paradise. “It now also reveals that the Smriti Irani’s family owns other prime properties in Goa, the land of fish, feni and fun. All this must be probed by the law enforcement authorities. Stay tuned.”
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