Indian-Origin Couple's Melbourne Cafe Damaged in Suspected Arson Near Tobacco Shop
An Indian-origin couple in Melbourne, Ashish Sharma and Manali Purohit, lost their vegan cafe, And Bodega, to extensive damage caused by a suspected arson attack on a neighbouring tobacco shop in October. The couple had invested over 100,000 AUD and five months renovating the cafe, which opened in July 2023. The tobacco shop was destroyed, and the cafe suffered severe damage, with no arrests made yet. The incident is part of a series of firebombings targeting tobacco shops in Melbourne since late 2023. The couple also reported theft of equipment from the damaged cafe.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is neutral (50/100). Lens Score 40/100.
Outlets measured: ndtv, hindustantimes. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (38–62/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
hindustantimes broke this story on 19 Oct, 07:55 am. Other outlets followed.