Nagpur Chef Held for Setting Pub Ablaze After Gutkha Snub

A 31-year-old chef and restaurant owner in Nagpur has been arrested for allegedly setting a pub on fire after he was denied entry for carrying a gutkha pouch. The incident occurred at The Cafe Barrel in Shivaji Nagar in the early hours of Sunday, with police confirming on Wednesday that the blaze was an act of arson.

According to officials, Mohanlal Tiwari, who owns the restaurant Samota in Jayaprakash Nagar and has previously worked in ten countries, felt humiliated when a security guard stopped him from entering the pub on Saturday evening. The confrontation took place in front of his friends.

Later that night, Tiwari enlisted the help of Shubham Vishwakarma, a 23-year-old chef at a city hotel. Tiwari initially did not reveal his intentions to Vishwakarma, instead asking him to join for a drive. The two men then went to the pub, where Tiwari disclosed his plan.

CCTV footage showed the duo entering the pub, dousing a section with petrol, and setting it on fire before fleeing the scene. The blaze caused damage estimated at approximately Rs 9 lakh. Pub owner Harish Gavai filed a police complaint following the incident.

Police examined surveillance footage from the site during their investigation, which led to the identification and arrest of both accused. Sub-inspector Rajesh Lohi of Ambazhari Police Station confirmed that both men are now in custody.