A ₹10,000 salary dispute has allegedly turned into a ₹24-crore loss for four textile traders in Surat.
Police have arrested a former accountant in connection with the September 9 fire at Shyam Sangini Textile Market in Saroli, alleging that he deliberately started the blaze at his former employer’s shop after a workplace dispute.
The accused, identified as 33-year-old Vinod Savle, is a native of Dhule, Maharashtra. Police said he had been working as an accountant at Hanuman Prasad Zawar’s shop since April 2026 and was paid a monthly salary of ₹30,000.
From a Salary Dispute to a Massive Fire
According to police, Savle claimed that ₹10,000 of his salary was still unpaid when he left the job. He also allegedly told investigators that Zawar and another accountant had repeatedly questioned his work and harassed him.
Police suspect that the dispute led Savle to decide to “teach his employer a lesson”.
Investigators allege that Savle bought petrol from a fuel station on September 8 and carried it in a plastic bag. The following day, he allegedly went to his former employer’s shop and set fire to goods kept outside the premises.
What began at one shop soon spread to neighbouring premises, according to police.
The blaze eventually damaged 17 shops, numbered 601 to 617, belonging to four textile traders. The estimated value of goods destroyed has been put at around ₹24 crore.
Hanumanprasad Zawar reportedly suffered the highest loss at ₹6 crore, while Abhishek Soni suffered losses of around ₹2 crore. Anurag Jalan’s reported loss was ₹12 crore and Hariprasad Zawar’s was ₹4 crore.
CCTV Leads Police to Former Employee
The investigation turned towards Savle after police examined CCTV footage and gathered information through local sources.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Dr Karanraj Vaghela said the footage and human intelligence helped investigators identify Savle as the suspected arsonist.
Police said Savle fled Surat after learning through newspapers, social media and television reports that he had become a suspect. He allegedly switched off his mobile phone and travelled across several places.
According to police, he first went to Khatushyam Temple in Rajasthan, followed by Ayodhya and other places in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
He reportedly had around ₹13,000 with him when he fled.
After allegedly running out of money, police said Savle returned to Surat 12 days later, believing that investigators may have stopped searching for him. He was subsequently arrested.
Fire Shuts Down Market
The fire did not only affect the shop linked to the alleged dispute. Traders in adjoining shops also suffered losses as the flames spread through the market.
The authorities later shut the textile market complex after finding violations of fire-safety norms. The closure has further affected traders by stopping them from accessing their shops and disrupting their business.
Police are continuing their investigation into the alleged arson and the full extent of the losses.
The allegations against Savle are part of the ongoing investigation and have not yet been established in court.
Also Read: Five Years Later, Father-Son Stem-Cell Test Brings 2020 Rape Case To Light
