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ShareSurat: Agitated workers set on fire a textile mill in Palsana taluka, on outskirts of Surat, late on Thursday night, after one of the workers was allegedly beaten up by the mill supervisor following a dispute over salary payment. The workers also pelted stones on police and the fire brigade personnel, even as the fire also spread to an adjacent mill, causing heavy losses.
According to information, trouble started when Raju Kevat, one of the workers of Raghunath Silk Mill, situated at Jolwa, was beaten up by mill supervisor Alkesh Yadav late last night. Heated words were exchanged between Kevat and Yadav when the former demanded his salary.
Yadav attacked Kevat and caused grievous head injuries to him. Kevat became unconscious and was rushed to hospital, even as other workers present in the mill and those living nearby were enraged when they learnt about the incident. The angered workers vent their ire on the printing mill causing heavy damage to the machinery and premises. Not content at that, the workers then proceeded to set the mill on fire.
The fire spread fast and engulfed the whole textile unit. The intensity of the fire was such that it also engulfed Siyaram Silk Mill, an adjacent textile unit, within a few minutes. The fire brigade rushed to Jolwa on learning about the fire. The Palsana police also arrived there. However, fire personnel were prevented from extinguishing the fire by workers who pelted stones on them. The police tried to force their way towards the mill, but were met with resistance by the mob. The workers resorted to heavy stone pelting on the police and fire officials, which led to minorinjuries to some persons.
Besides Palsana police, police officials from LCB, Kadodara and SOG also tried unsuccessfully to bring the situation under control. It was only after the cops fired 30 - 35 tear gas shells that they could disperse the agitating workers, and restore some amount of normalcy in the area.
The fire brigade personnel immediately got to work and initiated efforts to extinguish the fire. They had to battle the blaze for several hours before they could douse the fire.
Fire officials present at the scene said that the fire caused extensive damage in the two mills. Machinery, looms machines, grey bales, yarn stock, electrical goods, generators, and other materials, worth crores were completed gutted in the fire. However, the exact damage is yet to be ascertained, they said.
The Palsana police lodged a complaint of rioting against a mob of 250 workers. Officials said that more than 40 workers, who were involved in setting the mill on fire and pelting stones on police and fire brigade personnel, were arrested. Many of them were rounded up during the night itself. A complaint was also lodged against supervisor Alkesh Yadav for assaulting the worker. Palsana police officials said they are investigating the matter.
