Surat to get dedicated police station to fight ‘textile crime’

Surat is set to get what will arguably be the country’s first dedicated police station to fight crimes related to the textile industry. It will be established in the Salabatpura market area and will have special staff to handle offences linked to the textile trade and also maintain records of traders, brokers, and middlemen, the police said.

“It will be the first police station in the country that will be dedicated to crimes related to the textile industry. These crimes include fly-by-night firms, default of payments, theft of textile fabrics, etc.,” Anupam Singh Gahlaut, Police Commissioner, Surat, told The Indian Express.

According to Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA) president Kailash Hakim, the Surat textile industry has an annual turnover of Rs 1.50 lakh crore, with sarees and dress materials from the city sold across the country. Business is conducted through contacts, middlemen, brokers, and known parties, with payments for goods made within 60 days and unsold items returned to traders.

There are over 75,000 textile trading shops across around 220 textile markets in the city, and more than 15 lakh people are directly and indirectly associated with the industry. Yet, the sector loses business worth Rs 500 crore annually due to fly-by-night operators, according to industry sources. Instances of cheating and fraud are frequent, as a significant part of the business operates in the grey area. At least 200 cheating cases related to the textile industry have been registered in Surat in the last two years, Hakim added.

Station to maintain records of traders, middlemen

“There are cheats who rent shops in Surat’s textile markets. They purchase sarees and dress materials from other traders. Initially, they are regular in their payments, but once they gain confidence, they buy fabrics in large quantities from different traders and then vanish without paying,” Gahlaut explained.

Officials at the new police station will maintain records of textile traders, middlemen, and brokers, he added. “This data will help identify those involved in such crimes.”

Currently, such complaints are registered at the Salabatpura police station. “They cannot dedicate more time to textile industry-related complaints. At the ‘textile police station’, specially trained teams will be deployed to coordinate with police in other states and districts on theft and cheating cases. This will ensure traders do not have to wait long,” Gahlaut said.

Story continues below this ad

Salabatpura Police Inspector R A Jadeja said the station gets around 2,500 cheating and fraud complaints from Surat textile traders in a year. “Before registering an offence, we call both parties and try to resolve the matter. At least half the cases are settled in this manner. The remaining applications, we seek consent from higher officials and register an offence,” he added.

Land for new police station identified

“When I became FOSTTA president around two years ago, on behalf of the textile traders of Surat, we requested a dedicated police station for the textile industry before then home minister and current Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi,” Hakim said. The request was recently approved.

The Surat police and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) officials have identified a 1,000 sq feet property at Dumbhal, near the textile markets on Ring Road, for the new police station. SMC sources said that the land allotment process has been initiated, and it will soon be handed over to the Surat police department.

“The ‘textile police station’ will cover textile markets in Salabatpura, Madhidharpura, Varachha, Saroli, Udhna, etc. Any textile trader in Surat can approach the police station and file a complaint,” FOSTTA secretary Dinesh Katariya said.