{
  "id": 8470510,
  "title": "Arson, not accident: Police identify suspect in Surat textile market fire",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/arson-not-accident-police-identify-suspect-in-surat-textile-market",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-19T13:19:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/arson-not-accident-police-identify-suspect-in-surat-textile-market-fire-10885279/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 8, a massive fire erupted in the Shyam Sangini Textile Market in Surat. The blaze raged for over 14 hours, leading the Fire Department to declare the situation under control. The fire resulted in an estimated loss of Rs 24 crore worth of goods, with goods worth Rs 24 crore destroyed. Despite the damage, fortunately, no lives were lost. Ten days after the incident, investigators believe they have identified the arsonist behind the inferno.\n\nSecurity camera footage revealed a man with a handkerchief over his face entering the sixth floor of the market around 12.20 am. The man was seen spraying something from a bottle on the parcels in the passage before igniting them with a match. He then exited the building after four minutes. Police confirmed that the man in the footage is a resident of Maharashtra who previously worked as a laborer in the market for six months before quitting without giving any reason. The Saroli police inspector S R Vekariya stated that they have the man's name and address, but will not disclose them until he is apprehended.\n\nThe six-story textile market houses 284 large shops, each measuring about 2,000 square feet. The fire started on the sixth floor, destroying 17 shops. It quickly spread to the fifth floor and damaged some shops on that floor as well. The highly flammable materials stored in the market, such as cardboard, synthetic saris, dress materials, and plastic packing materials, contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. The fire ended up damaging the entire sixth floor and parts of the fifth floor. The market is particularly busy during September as traders receive orders for Navratri and Diwali from across India.\n\nUpon receiving a call around 12.50 am on September 9, the Surat Fire Department arrived at the scene. The manager of the market, Rahul Kumar Pandey, spotted the suspect in the CCTV footage and alerted the police. Investigators tracked the man's movements in other cameras outside the market and showed his picture to traders whose shops were targeted. A shop owner eventually identified the suspect as someone who had worked in his firm as a laborer for six months before quitting two months ago without any explanation. An FIR was registered at the Saroli police station based on a complaint by Assistant Sub-inspector Ajitbhai Thakore. The FIR was registered under Section 326 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with mischief caused by injury, inundation, fire, or an explosive substance. Police have launched a manhunt for the accused in Maharashtra and have searched the suspect's home and those of his relatives. They are also collecting information about the suspect's friends and associates.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}