Driver absconded with bag containing ₹19.28 lakh while builder visited car showroom in Sarkhej

In a case that raises concerns about trust and employee background checks, a builder in Sarkhej lost ₹19.28 lakh in cash after a newly-hired driver fled with the bag, while the builder was visiting a car showroom with his father. The Sarkhej police have registered an FIR and arrested the accused, who claimed he committed the theft to fund his brother’s cancer treatment.

The complainant, Abid Rasul Multani, a resident of Narol and owner of Khabia Constructions, had recently employed his relative’s nephew, Soyeb Banjara, as a driver just three days before the incident.

On June 19, Abid, along with his father and the accused driver, was travelling to a construction site in Bavla to disburse wages to workers and payments to suppliers. He was carrying ₹19.28 lakh in cash in a bag. On the way, they stopped at a car showroom on SG Highway as Abid intended to book a new vehicle. He and his father stepped inside the showroom, leaving the cash bag under the driver’s seat, assuming the driver would wait outside.

However, when they returned, Soyeb was missing, and so was the cash. His phone was switched off, and an internal inquiry revealed he had booked a separate taxi and escaped with the bag. Abid immediately filed a complaint at the Sarkhej police station.

Police launched a swift investigation and apprehended the accused. During questioning, Soyeb claimed he stole the money to finance the medical treatment of his brother, who has been diagnosed with cancer. Further investigation is underway.