Wells Fargo Bank has filed a lawsuit against Praveen Khurana and his Top Restaurant Investment limited liability company over alleged damages sustained during and after the December 2019 fire that destroyed the Emperor of India King Thai restaurant in downtown Lewiston.
Khurana, has also been charged with 22 zoning code violations because of his alleged failure to clean up the burned-out properties, which adjoin the downtown Lewiston branch of the bank. His trial in the zoning matter has been delayed twice because of pandemic restrictions, but it is now scheduled for February.
According to the Lewiston Tribune, the Wells Fargo lawsuit claims specific damages of more than $17,100 from the smoke and water that infiltrated the building at the time of the fire. It also claims the defendant trespassed by allowing fire, smoke, water and other contaminants to enter Wells Fargo’s property. That section of the lawsuit claims damages to be determined at trial.
Khurana has also filed a lawsuit against Auto-Owners Insurance of Lansing, Michigan, over its decision to not pay Khurana’s claim after the fire. The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s office listed the cause of the fire as “undetermined” after a yearlong investigation that was delayed by the pandemic.
