LEWISTON, ID – Nez Perce County will auction a property on Main Street in Lewiston that was once home to the Emperor of India restaurant.
According to a public notice issued by the Nez Perce County Board of Commissioners, the property at 858 Main St. will be sold to the highest bidder at a public auction on April 22, 2026, at 10 a.m. The auction will be held in the lobby of the Nez Perce County Courthouse in Lewiston.
Properties are typically acquired through tax deed and auctioned off by the county after property tax payments become delinquent.
The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the fire, which occurred on Dec. 9, 2019. In its findings, the Fire Marshal’s Office listed the cause of the fire as undetermined. What remained of the restaurant building following a fire was later demolished, and the site is now a paved lot.
When Lewiston Fire Department crews responded to the fire, they found heavy fire and smoke coming from all windows on the Main Street side of the building. Due to the extent of the damage, Lewiston Fire Chief Travis Myklebust requested assistance from the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office to conduct an independent investigation, which began the morning of Dec. 10, 2019.
The property was listed under taxpayer Top Restaurant Invest LLC and is identified as Parcel No. RPL0360030012E. The public notice includes a detailed legal description of the property, which is located in Block 30 of the City of Lewiston.
In late 2023, Wells Fargo Bank, which owns an adjacent property, filed a lawsuit against Praveen Khurana and Top Restaurant Invest LLC seeking damages that were reportedly attributed to smoke and water damage. According to court records, Wells Fargo was awarded a judgement against the LLC for $15,413.27 in April of 2025.
