A former accountant in Surat, India, has been arrested for allegedly torching textile stock worth around Rs 24 crore (about $2.7 million) over roughly Rs 10,000 (about $120) in unpaid salary. Police say 33-year-old Vinod Savle, who worked at two firms in Shyam Sangini Textile Market in the Saroli area for a monthly salary of Rs 30,000, quit after claiming he was harassed by his employer and never received the money he was owed. He allegedly bought about Rs 150 (around $1.80) of petrol the day before, slipped into the market after hours on September 8-9, and set fire to fabric parcels outside his former employer's shop. Investigators say he wanted to "teach his employer a lesson," but the flames spread across the sixth floor and gutted a string of neighboring shops.

The blaze was first treated as an accident, but CCTV footage, reportedly drawn from more than 1,500 cameras, and local intelligence led police to Savle as the suspect. Officers say he fled after seeing news reports naming him, switched off his phone, and traveled to Rajasthan, Ayodhya, and other places before running out of money and returning to Surat about 12 days later, where he was arrested. Traders reported individual losses ranging from Rs 2 crore to Rs 12 crore, reports put the number of damaged shops at 14 to 17, and the market was sealed for safety, disrupting more than 200 traders. Savle reportedly told police he did not expect the fire to spread so far, and as with any arrest, the allegations against him have yet to be tested in court. The case has become a stark example of how a small wage dispute in India's informal sector can spiral into widespread financial damage for an entire textile hub.