Nagpur: Police have made a startling revelation in the arson case at The Barrel Cafe in Shivaji Nagar under the Ambazari police station limits, where a fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday. A minor argument over carrying a Rajnigandha pouch inside the pub allegedly led to the incident.
According to police, 31-year-old master chef Mohanlal Tiwari allegedly took offence after a security guard stopped him from carrying the Rajnigandha pouch inside the pub. Feeling humiliated in front of his friends, Tiwari allegedly decided to take revenge. He later teamed up with his friend Shubham Vishwakarma and allegedly set the pub on fire by spraying petrol on the premises after it had closed.
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The two suspects fled after the incident, but CCTV cameras captured their movements, helping police identify and arrest them.
Argument During Entry
Police identified the arrested accused as 31-year-old Mohanlal Tiwari, a resident of Bhim Nagar, Isasani, and 23-year-old Shubham Vishwakarma, originally from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh.
Tiwari works as a master chef and has reportedly worked in around 10 countries. He currently runs his own hotel, Samota, in the Jaiprakash Nagar area. Vishwakarma works as a chef at a hotel in Nagpur.
According to investigators, Tiwari had visited The Barrel Cafe on Saturday night with three friends. During entry, security personnel stopped him from taking a Rajnigandha pouch inside. An argument followed between Tiwari and the security employee.
Police said Tiwari allegedly felt insulted in front of his friends. Although he returned home with them after the party, he allegedly continued thinking about taking revenge.
Alleged Arson After Pub Closed
Later, Tiwari reportedly called Vishwakarma and asked him to accompany him for a ride. Police said Vishwakarma was allegedly unaware of Tiwari’s plan and joined him as it was his day off.
The two later returned to The Barrel Cafe at night. Police allege that they sprayed petrol inside the premises and set the pub on fire before leaving the spot.
The blaze caused an estimated ₹9 lakh loss to the cafe.
Cafe owner Harish Gawai, through manager Kamaldeep Mitre, lodged a complaint with Ambazari police.
CCTV Reveals the Crime
Following the complaint, police examined CCTV footage from the area. The footage allegedly showed both suspects entering the pub and setting it on fire after spraying petrol.
Based on the CCTV evidence and other leads, Ambazari police traced and arrested the two accused.
What reportedly began as a minor argument over a Rajnigandha pouch eventually turned into an arson attack causing around ₹9 lakh in damage. Police are now questioning the accused and investigating other aspects of the incident.
