Surat police suspect foul play in textile building fire, man ‘with face covered’ in question

At least 16 shops were gutted, causing an estimated loss of Rs 24 crore.

THE SURAT police on Friday registered an offence against an unidentified person in connection with his alleged role in a fire at Shyam Sangini Textile Market after CCTV footage showed a “man with his face covered” on the sixth floor of the massive market for nearly four minutes after midnight.

At least 16 shops were gutted, causing an estimated loss of  Rs 24 crore of finished textile goods ready to be delivered for Diwali.

According to the FIR lodged at Saroli police station on  the basis of Assistant Sub-Inspector Ajitbhai Thakore’s complaint, “A man with a handkerchief wrapped around his face entered the market at 12:20 am on Thursday, with a bag hanging on his shoulder. The man reached the sixth floor of the market by the elevator and took out a bottle containing some liquid. He sprinkled the liquid on the packed parcels kept in the passageway for delivery and lit a fire with a matchstick. The suspect was seen coming out from the market at 12:24 am on Thursday and then went missing. The textile shops gutted by the fire are from 601 to 609 and 610 to 617.”

Police booked the person under BNS 326 (“Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc.”) and have launched an investigation.

Saroli police inspector S R Vekariya said, “A total of 16 shops were gutted. These shops were run by two textile businessmen families comprising six people who are inter-related to each other. We are looking for the suspect and we are working on three possibilities: one is that the suspect may have been thrown out of a job, second is whether the fire was set intentionally and third is whether there is any business rivalry. We are hopeful that we will catch the suspect.”

On Wednesday night, a massive fire broke out on the sixth floor of the Shyam Sangini textile market in Saroli, Surat, after midnight. The fire department said it got a call at 12:50 am and sent teams. Sources said the fire started in parcels of sarees and dress materials packed for late-night delivery. Because of the synthetic fabrics, plastic bags, cardboard boxes, etc, the fire, which started in the centre of the passage where the parcels were kept for delivery, spread to both sides on the sixth floor. The fire, along with smoke, was visible from a long distance. The fire later spread to the fifth floor.

After 15 hours of battling the flames,  officials brought the fire under control and another ten hours were spent on cooling.

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On Thursday evening, market manager Rahul Kumar Pandey checked the CCTV footage in an effort to find the cause of the fire and spotted someone entering the market around the time. Pandey then informed the police.

The six-storey Shyam Sangini market has 284 shops, each spread over 2000 square metres.

Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs. Expertise Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs. Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including: Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives. Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress. Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli). Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More

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