A major theft has rattled an online garment business in Surat, leading to a formal police complaint against a courier company employee. The incident, involving hundreds of parcels, highlights the vulnerabilities faced by e-commerce sellers.
The Discovery of Missing Diwali Stock
The case came to light when the staff of 'She Wears Studio,' a ladies' apparel seller operating from Kapodra, conducted a routine inventory check. To their shock, they found that approximately 400 parcels were missing from their godown. The business, run by Jayesh Savani and his partners, sells products on a leading online platform and had seen high sales during the Diwali season.
Many of these parcels were returned items from the festive season sales, sent back by customers due to size or other issues. The returned goods, valued at a total of Rs 3 lakh, were stored in the company's storage facility awaiting further processing.
CCTV Footage Points to Courier Employee
Upon discovering the discrepancy, the management reviewed the security camera recordings from their godown. The CCTV footage reportedly revealed a clear pattern. It showed Ashique Ghanchi, an employee of the courier service, visiting the storage unit regularly in the period following Diwali.
The footage allegedly captured Ghanchi removing parcels from the premises before leaving. This repeated activity over time led to the massive shortfall discovered during the inventory audit.
Confrontation and Disappearance
Armed with the video evidence, the management of She Wears Studio confronted Ashique Ghanchi about the alleged theft. However, the situation took an unexpected turn. Ghanchi reportedly fled the scene during the confrontation and has been untraceable since.
In his complaint to the Kapodra police station, Jayesh Savani stated that he made repeated attempts over the past few months to contact Ghanchi to recover the stolen merchandise. All these efforts have been in vain, as the accused employee remains at large. The police have now registered a case based on the complaint and are investigating the matter further.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale for the booming e-commerce sector in cities like Surat, underscoring the need for robust security measures and verified logistics partnerships to prevent such losses.
