India, Sept. 24 -- A disgruntled ex-employee of a textile unit in Surat has been arrested for starting a fire that gutted several shops, all over Rs.10,000 in unpaid dues. Vinod Pandit Savle was caught on CCTV footage striking a match and setting fire to bales of cloth kept outside a shop in Shyam Sangini Textile Market on the night of September 8-9.

Police said that the fire in Surat's textile hub destroyed 14 shops and caused damage worth Rs.24 crore.

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Police said that Vinod Pandit Savle, 33, worked for about three months at Shop No 639 in Surat's Shyam Sangini Textile Market. He started in April 2026 and quit in June.

Police said that ...