PANAJI
On the action-packed day when local authorities finally brought down part of the infamous Curlies shack for violating environmental norms, its conflict with the law hasn’t been new for Goa. From illegally converting a temporary structure into a double-storied shack restaurant-bar-hookah joint, allegedly allowing drugs smuggling and consumption, violating the food safety standards to tax evasion, Curlies has grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons.
It came into the spotlight in February 2008 in the British teenager Scarlett Keeling’s rape and murder saga. During the investigation, the investigators found that Scarlett had e-mailed a Spanish friend that some boys at Curlies showed her porn on their cell phones and tried to rape her. Days later, her semi-covered bruised body was found near another Luis shack, which later shut down, unable to face the heat.
While the beachside structures remained under the radar of Goa Police, particularly during the tenure of the then North Superintendents of Police Vijay Singh and Bosco George, in December 2014, Curlies and another party joint was raided by the sleuths of Income Tax for evading tax.
Edwin Nunes, believed to be the owner of the hub, had then allegedly admitted an undisclosed income of Rs 8 crore. In what was expected by the authorities, the officials of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Goa “ who was called in to check for drug abuse “ found people with the contraband substance. However, no case was registered as these were found in minute quantity.
Amid allegations of CRZ violation as the structure saw rapid expansion, activist Kashinath Shetye took the lead and moved the GCZMA in 2016 for CRZ violation. The Authority directed demolition, an order which was swiftly challenged before the higher courts.
The Goan had earlier reported that a Google Earth satellite image of May 23, 2003, showed a tiny temporary structure on Anjuna Beach, which was Curlies. The shack continued to apply for a temporary seasonal shack license every year until the Tourism Department, in 2008 clamped down on the rampant issuance of shack licenses by panchayats and took over the function itself. The shack was given its first and last No Objection Certificate by the Department on December 31, 2007, to operate till the end of the tourist season the following year. The order was signed by then Tourism Director Elvis Gomes stating that the validity would not extend beyond that period but on July 2, 2008, the former sarpanch of Anjuna-Caisua ‘renewed’ its license as a ‘restaurant’. Records confirmed that no restaurant with the name was permitted before 2008. Unfazed with surrounding problems, it continued to operate and saw many visitors and celebrities partying there.
While owners of the survey number where the controversial structure is located fought a legal battle, Nunes was arrested for allowing the drug menace after his waiter and a patron were caught in possession of 7.3gm of charas in August 2017. Nunes was released on bail only to be caught by the Food and Drugs Administration for operating the shack under extremely unhygienic conditions. An immediate shutdown order was issued by the FDA that noted 30 violations including food cooked in the open, kitchen’s direct access to washrooms, and use of excessive food colour in cooking, among others.
After six years of the court battle against the demolition order, Nunes' family lost the appeal. The National Green Tribunal’s order incidentally came at a time when Curlies is already entangled in the high-profile death of BJP leader Sonali Phogat, who was allegedly drugged in the nightclub hours before her death due to a suspected overdose. Edwin was arrested yet again for allowing drugs and bailed out, earlier this week, with strict court conditions.
