A fire at Surat’s Shyam Sangini Textile Market damaged textiles worth around Rs. 24 crore after a former accountant allegedly set fire to textile parcels outside his former employer’s shop. According to investigators, 33-year-old Vinod Pandit Savle had worked at a shop in the market and left following a dispute over Rs. 10,000 in unpaid salary. Investigators said Savle bought petrol worth around Rs. 150 and entered the market late at night. He allegedly poured the petrol over textile parcels outside his former employer’s shop before setting them on fire. The fire spread to goods across around 14 shops belonging to four traders, causing damage estimated at around Rs. 24 crore. Police traced Savle using footage from more than 1,500 CCTV cameras installed across the area. After learning that he was being investigated, Savle left Surat with his wife and child. According to investigators, they travelled to Rajasthan and Ayodhya before returning to Surat days later. The Crime Branch arrested Savle after he returned to the city. The case centres on a dispute over Rs. 10,000 in unpaid salary and a fire that investigators said began outside his former employer’s shop before spreading to textile goods belonging to other traders.