The owner of downtown Chapel Hill’s CholaNad restaurant has been charged with attempted first degree murder after court filings say he attacked his wife earlier this month. The arrest led to a temporary closure of the Franklin Street spot and stunned regulars who have long known the restaurant as a downtown fixture. Court records identify the owner as 49 year old Mathivanan Pothiyappan, who was first arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence related counts in early April.
According to The News & Observer, Pothiyappan was arrested April 4 on misdemeanor charges that include domestic violence, assault on a female and communicating threats. The Chatham County Sheriff's Office then added an attempted first degree murder charge on April 8. Court paperwork cited by the paper shows a district court judge initially set bail at $5,000, later increasing it to $100,000 before Pothiyappan posted bond. His next hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
CholaNad's website lists its downtown location at 310 W Franklin St and notes a satellite spot inside UNC Chapel Hill’s Lenoir Dining Hall. Food delivery platforms such as DoorDash currently show the Franklin Street restaurant as temporarily closed, taking it out of the usual downtown rotation for now.
Allegations in court records
As reported by The News & Observer, a voluntary statement from Pothiyappan’s wife says he struck her in the face with "a black bag full of medicine," threatened to kill her with a knife and chased her as she tried to get away. The couple’s daughter gave a separate voluntary statement that she said backed up her mother’s account.
The filings also say the wife alleged earlier incidents in which she was burned and hit with dumbbells, and that she had previously sought emergency medical care after those episodes.
Legal status and next steps
The Chatham County Sheriff's Office public arrest blotter reflects the agency's role in Pothiyappan’s April custody and related investigative activity, according to online postings from the sheriff. The case remains under judicial review, and prosecutors and court records indicate the defendant is scheduled to return to district court on April 22, 2026.
The charges at this stage are allegations, and Pothiyappan is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
We will continue to follow court filings and local reporting and will update this story after the April 22 hearing and as additional official records or statements become available.
