SURAT: A dispute over Rs 10,000 in unpaid salary allegedly led a former accountant to set fire to goods at a textile market in Surat, triggering a blaze that destroyed material worth around Rs 24 crore, police said.Police on Monday arrested Vinod Savle, 33, a native of Maharashtra’s Dhule, in connection with the September 9 fire at Shyam Sangini Textile Market in Saroli. Savle had worked as an accountant at the shop of textile trader Hanuman Prasad Zawar since April 2026 and was paid Rs 30,000 a month.According to police, Savle had quit after allegedly claiming that Zawar and another accountant repeatedly harassed him and questioned his work. He also claimed that Rs 10,000 of his salary remained unpaid when he left the job.
Police allege planned arson
Additional commissioner of police (crime) Dr Karanraj Vaghela said CCTV footage and human intelligence helped investigators identify Savle as the alleged arsonist.Police said Savle allegedly bought petrol from a fuel station on September 8 and carried it away in a plastic bag. He then allegedly went to his former employer’s shop and set fire to goods kept outside the premises, intending to “teach his employer a lesson”.However, the fire spread to adjoining shops, destroying goods and other material stored in 17 shops numbered 601 to 617. The affected establishments belonged to four textile traders.Zawar reported a loss of Rs 6 crore, while Abhishek Soni, Anurag Jalan and Hariprasad Zawar reported losses of Rs 2 crore, Rs 12 crore and Rs 4 crore, respectively.
Fled after learning he was a suspect
Police said Savle switched off his mobile phone after learning through newspapers, social media and television reports that investigators suspected him of starting the fire.He allegedly fled Surat and first travelled to Khatushyam temple in Rajasthan before going to Ayodhya. Police said he subsequently visited several places in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra before returning to Surat 12 days later.According to investigators, Savle had around Rs 13,000 in cash when he fled. After the money ran out, he returned to Surat, allegedly believing that police may have stopped looking for him.Police said the blaze also affected other traders who were not involved in the dispute. Several businesses in the market suffered additional losses after authorities shut the complex over fire-safety violations, preventing traders from accessing their shops and disrupting operations.
