SC stays demolition of Goa eatery linked to BJP leader Sonali Phogat's death

The Supreme Court on Friday (September 9) ordered a stay on the demolition of the Curlies restaurant in Goa, linked to the death of Haryana BJP leader Sonali Phogat, hours after the Goa government sent bulldozers to raze the building.

The Goa government began demolishing the controversial restaurant at Anjuna in North Goa for violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, an official said.

Located on the famous Anjuna beach, the restaurant was recently in news after Phogat was found partying at the outlet hours before her death.

Its owner Edwin Nunes was among five people arrested in the Phogat death case and he was later granted bail.

“The demolition squad of the district administration along with Anjuna police personnel arrived at the beach around 7.30 am to demolish the restaurant that was built in no development zone in violation of the CRZ norms,” the official said.

The action against the restaurant was initiated after its owner failed to get any respite from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the 2016 demolition order of Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).

The case was heard on September 6 by the NGT bench chaired by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel. The bench had upheld the order of GCZMA disposing of the petition filed by the restaurant management.

On Thursday, the district administration had issued a notice asking its demolition squad to raze the structure on Friday.

Deputy collector of Mapusa sub division Gurudas S T Desai had issued the notice. According to police, Phogat, a former TikTok star and contestant on the reality show Bigg Boss, was allegedly drugged at the restaurant before her death on August 23.

(With inputs from agencies)