Goa excise commissioner Narayan Gad on Thursday disallowed a complaint demanding suspension of the excise licence of a restaurant that 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. Rodrigues said he would challenge the excise commissioner’s order before the Goa Bench of 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.

Delhi High Court had observed that Irani and her daughter are neither owners of the restaurant in Goa nor have they ever applied for 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. 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 showcause notice issued on July 21, 2022 is hereby disposed of accordingly.”

Bail for MLA in rape case

A court in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to a Congress MLA who has been accused of rape and ordered him to appear before investigating officers on October 22.

Eldhose Kunnapillil has been absconding for over 10 days since a schoolteacher accused him of rape and physical assault. The court ordered him to surrender his passport and mobile phones, remain in Kerala, cooperate with the investigation and not post any social media messages against the survivor.

Kunnapillil had earlier posted a Facebook message claiming innocence and allegedly said in a messages to a friend of the survivor: “Jesus Christ will give appropriate punishment to you and your family for cheating me although I did no wrong.”