Direct CP asymmetry in semi-leptonic τ decays is an intriguing hint for new physics beyond the standard model. We investigate the CP asymmetry in $$ {\tau}^{-}\to {K}_S^0{\pi}^{-}{\nu}_{\tau } $$
τ
−
→
K
S
0
π
−
ν
τ
and τ− → K−π0ντ decays in the context of the non-minimal SU(5) model, with 45-dimensional Higgs multiplet. We show that the associate color-triplet scalar, which is a natural example of a scalar leptoquark, can mediate the $$ \tau \to s\overline{u}{\nu}_{\tau } $$
τ
→
s
u
¯
ν
τ
transition and account for the observed 2.8 σ discrepancy in $$ {A}_{\textrm{CP}}\left({\tau}^{-}\to {K}_S^0{\pi}^{-}{\nu}_{\tau}\right) $$
A
CP
τ
−
→
K
S
0
π
−
ν
τ
compared to the SM expectation. We also predict a sizable ACP(τ− → K−π0ντ), of $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(10−3), which can be experimentally accessible in current and near future experiments.