Dehradun’s Rajpur area witnessed a cold-blooded betrayal this week — the kind that stings not just because of the loss, but because of who caused it. A man who had placed his trust in a driver he personally vetted came home from a wedding without his car, and without any trace of the man he had handed his keys to.
A Night That Took an Ugly Turn
Avneet Singh Brar had done everything right. When he hired Saurabh Panchal as his driver roughly two to three weeks ago, he did not simply take the man at his word. He collected his identity documents, checked him out, and only then gave him the job. For a while, things seemed fine.
On the night of March 11, the family dressed up and headed to a wedding at Lagzariya Farm in Rajpur. Saurabh drove them there in Avneet’s KIA Seltos — registration UK07FC 6009 — parked the car, and that, as far as anyone knew, was that. The family went inside, music played, food was served, and the evening rolled on the way weddings do.
Then came the moment it all fell apart. When Avneet and his family stepped out of the venue and walked toward the parking area, the spot where the Seltos had been parked was empty. No car. No driver. Just silence where there should have been both.
The Quiet Getaway
There was no confrontation, no argument, no warning sign. Saurabh Panchal simply waited for his employer to get comfortable inside the celebrations, then drove away and did not come back. By the time the family realised what had happened, he was long gone — and so was the car.
The detail that makes this case particularly hard to swallow is that Avneet had taken every precaution a careful employer would. He had the man’s ID. He knew his address. He had done what most people in his position do to protect themselves. None of it mattered in the end, because the moment the opportunity presented itself, the driver took it.
Who Police Are Looking For
The accused, Saurabh Panchal — son of Rajkumar Panchal, born in 2001 — hails from 44/47 Titan Road, Mohabbewala, Clementown, Dehradun. At the time of the incident, he had been living on rent at a first-floor flat opposite Vrindavan Garden in Banjarawala. Whether he has since abandoned that address too is something police are trying to determine.
Where the Case Stands
Avneet Singh Brar walked into Rajpur Police Station the very next evening and put everything on paper. The FIR — number 0049/2026 — was registered on March 12 at 5:50 PM under Section 316(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Sub-Inspector Balbir Singh Rawat is handling the investigation under the watch of Station House Officer Inspector Pradeep Rawat.
Police have already knocked on both addresses connected to Panchal. So far, neither the man nor the vehicle has surfaced. The search continues.
