Feeling 'humiliated' because he was stopped from taking a 'gutkha' packet inside a pub in Nagpur, a man returned later the same night and set the place ablaze after dousing it in petrol.
The fire broke out at The Cafe Barrel in Shivaji Nagar in the early hours of Sunday and police said on Wednesday that their investigation has revealed that it was a case of arson. On Saturday evening, Mohanlal Tiwari, a chef who has worked in 10 countries and now owns a restaurant called Samota in Nagpur's Jayaprakash Nagar, was entering the pub when he was stopped by a security guard because he was carrying a 'gutkha' pouch. Officials said the 31-year-old felt humiliated because the incident happened in front of his friends
Tiwari decided to take help from a friend, Shubham Vishwakarma (23), and asked him to go for a drive with him. "Vishwakarma also works as a chef at a hotel in the city and Tiwari did not initially tell him what his intentions were," said an official.
Tiwari took his friend to the pub and then told him what he was planning. The two men doused a portion of the pub in petrol and then set it on fire. They fled the scene but their act was captured on CCTV cameras.
The attack caused damage worth approximately Rs 9 lakh and the pub's owner, Harish Gavai, lodged a police complaint.
During their investigation, the police examined CCTV footage from the site. The footage showed both accused entering the pub, pouring petrol, and starting the fire. "Both men have been arrested," said Rajesh Lohi, sub-inspector, Ambazhari Police Station.