Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani should gracefully agree to a public debate on facts and figures so that the people of Goa, across the nation and overseas know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about that the now very controversial Silly Souls Café and Bar at Assagao.
Nobody has ever claimed that those premises are owned or that the licenses were in the name of Smriti Irani’s family. All that has been alleged is that the illegal Silly Souls Café and Bar was being run by Smriti Irani’s family and that there was enough prima facie evidence to that effect.
In an interview with food vlogger Kunal Vijayakar in April this year, Zoish Irani had detailed the motive behind opening what she described as an international restaurant in Goa. Smriti Irani had shared that very interview on social media while tagging her daughter and the restaurant bar’s social media account stating that she was “So proud”.
As per the records of Maharashtra’s Registrar of Companies, at least two Directors of this restaurant’s alleged parent company, Eightall Food and Beverages, are also directors of two firms linked to Irani’s husband and son. Eightall Food and Beverages operates from the same address as that of Silly Souls Café and Bar which is House No 452, Bouta Waddo, in Assagao.
The firm Eightall Food and Beverages was incorporated in December 2020 and registered the following month with GST number 30AAIFE70SSH1ZM, lists its Principal place of business as House No 452, Bouta Waddo, Assagao – Goa, which is the address of Silly Souls Cafe and Bar.
Further as per the records of Maharashtra’s Registrar of Companies the Eightall Food and Beverages has five Directors – Rahul Vohra, Geeta Vajani, Harsh Khaneja, Mangesh Joshi, and Kanika Seth and that Vohra and Joshi are also Directors of companies run by Smriti Irani’s husband Zubin Irani. Rahul Vohra is a Director with Zubin and his son Zohr in Ugraya Mercantile while also running other companies – Spark 84 Adworks and Meethapani – with Zubin’s ex-wife Mona Irani.
Mangesh Joshi serves as Director of Ugraya Farms along with Zubin, Zohr and Zubin’s sister-in-law Mehernaz Kaizad Irani, of Shree Bawaji Foods with Zubin, and of Heramba Life Sciences with his wife Meenal Joshi and Zohr.
There is no need of any further evidence that the now late Anthony DGama was just a front while the Irani Souls were running the show. It is no surprise that Silly Souls Café and Bar was quickly built and Excise licence issued all in total breach of law.
All this was all done in 2020-21 possibly taking advantage that we were in the midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Let us hope that the Truth will now prevail while the Lies and Deceit will stand exposed.
