Background
Pawan Kumar Garg, who served as the nursing superintendent for the Orthopaedics Department at King George's Medical University, disappeared on the night of 27 September after leaving his residence in Keshav Nagar, Madiaon, accompanied by his friend Sachin.
Timeline of the disappearance
Police reports state that the pair set off in Garg’s car. Surveillance footage from the Itaunja toll plaza recorded the vehicle passing the gate, though the driver’s face was obscured. Investigators identified the clothing worn in the video as matching Garg’s outfit that evening, and a second passenger was visible beside the driver.
After the toll, the car arrived in Ludhauli village, where Garg and Sachin joined acquaintances at a local gathering. Witnesses claim a heated argument broke out, resulting in an alleged assault that left both men gravely injured.
Following the incident, Garg’s mobile phone was discovered switched off. His family lodged a missing‑person report at the Madiaon police station on 29 September.
Police investigation
Detectives tracked the vehicle along the Lucknow‑Sitapur corridor. The abandoned car was later found near Chadhehra Bazaar on the Jairampur road, within the Kamalapur area of Sitapur, on Tuesday.
Interrogations of several suspects shed light on the Ludhauli gathering and the reported attack. Authorities now suspect that after the assault, Garg and Sachin were placed back in the car and possibly driven toward the Sitapur‑Bahraich border.
Search operations
In response, police have launched an extensive search of the Ghaghra River, believed to be the route taken by the assailants. Multiple police units, supported by the fire department and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), are combing the riverbanks and adjacent areas.
The investigation remains active as officials work to reconstruct the events after the two men reached Ludhauli village and to locate the missing nursing superintendent.
