Smriti Irani, daughter not owners of Goa restaurant, never applied for license: Delhi HC

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 01, 2022: The Delhi High Court on Monday said that Union Minister Smriti Irani and her daughter Zoish are not the owners of the Goa restaurant. No license was ever issued in their favour, the court said.

 

The order of the court was pronounced after Smriti Irani filed a civil defamation suit against Congress leaders who alleged that the minister’s daughter was running an illegal bar in Goa.

"Smriti Irani and her daughter are not the owners of the restaurant. Smriti Irani or her daughter never applied for a license," the court said.

"Neither the restaurant, nor the land is owned by Smriti Irani or her daughter," the Delhi HC said.

Smriti Irani had sent notices to Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Jairam Ramesh and Netta D’Souza and the Congress party for ‘conspiring to launch a series of scathing and belligerent personal attacks with the oblique motive to malign, defame and injure’.

The BJP leader sought an apology from the Congress and its leaders for their "baseless and false" allegations against her and her daughter.

Following this, Delhi HC had issued summons to Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera and Netta D’Souza on a civil defamation suit filed by Smriti Irani. The BJP leader sought damages of over Rs 2 crore for ’baseless’ allegations against her and her daughter after Congress alleged that Zoish was running an illegal bar in Goa. The court asked Congress leaders to take down tweets and other social media posts on allegations levelled against the union minister and her daughter.

Smriti Irani refuted the allegations and had said, "It was done at the direction of the Congress leadership, namely the Gandhi family. Because I had the audacity to hold a press conference and question Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on the Rs 5,000 crore loot of the Indian treasury."

"The three defendants conspired with each other and other individuals to launch a tirade of false, scathing and belligerent personal attacks on Smriti Irani and her daughter. It is a motive to malign, defame and injure the reputation, moral character and public image of Smriti Irani," the court said in its order.

"Slanderous allegations have been made without verifying actual facts. It is a great injury has been caused to Smriti Irani and her family and bogus statements were made with malicious intent," it said.

The court further said there is an imperative need to protect the reputation of Smriti Irani who is a respected member of society.

Courtesy: India Today