A sharp dispute has emerged following the sudden apprehension of internationally recognized culinary expert Santosh Shah by law enforcement authorities. His administrative team has strongly criticized the police intervention, describing it as a calculated and coordinated effort to damage the professional standing and hard-earned reputation that the global culinary icon built throughout his life.
The underlying conflict dates back to a commercial agreement where Mithila Thali, owned by Shah, acquired the assets of the financially distressed Shila Restaurant in Gairidhara from Aarjab Holdings Private Limited. According to an official statement issued by Shah’s secretariat, the transaction was valued at 22.5 million rupees. The acquisition took place at a time when the previous establishment was unable to manage its banking debts, commercial liabilities, and overdue rental payments.
In executing the acquisition, Mithila Thali reportedly cleared multiple external liabilities on behalf of Aarjab Holdings to ensure operational continuity. This financial assistance included a direct settlement of 4 million rupees for outstanding rent to the property owner, alongside 277,997 rupees paid to the electricity authority for overdue utility bills. Furthermore, the management team confirmed they directly covered several installments of an outstanding loan that Aarjab Holdings owed to Nepal Bank.
Addressing the widely discussed 2.5 million rupee payment, the secretariat clarified that the financial records reflect an actual overpayment through corporate banking channels. A total of 2.825 million rupees was disbursed via multiple bank cheques across Nabil Bank, Laxmi Sunrise Bank, and Nepal Bank Limited. They further asserted that a corporate representative, Shakuntala Thapa, repeatedly demanded these payments into a personal account, which Mithila Thali resisted in order to maintain institutional financial standards. Despite these payments, Aarjab Holdings has allegedly failed to provide proper invoices or official tax clearance documents.
The executive team emphasized that the dynamic leading to the chef's sudden custody from Janakpur involved a marginal legal claim of just 450,000 rupees. The secretariat stated that while they were preparing to challenge a Kathmandu District Court order regarding this balance in the High Court—a legal pathway still open within the statutory limitation period—authorities carried out an abrupt, high-profile detention instead.
Following his subsequent release from police custody, the secretariat confirmed that Chef Shah will personally address the press to present comprehensive evidence regarding the transaction and clarify the facts surrounding the administrative dispute.
