Archive · 1 Oct 2026
Retired IAS Officer Murder: Caretaker Suspect Flees After Arson Attempt
Retired officer Rakesh Agarwal was found murdered at his home in Bhopal.
Police suspect his caretaker, Varun Kumar, was involved.
Kumar had been hired only three days before the killing.
Investigators think Agarwal may have been attacked while sleeping because there were no signs of a struggle.
Police say Kumar tried to start a fire to destroy evidence.
He allegedly took Agarwal’s mobile phone and escaped.
Cameras and phone signals helped police follow parts of his route.
Police say reports that Kumar was arrested are not true yet.
Retired IAS officer Rakesh Agarwal was killed at his Bhopal residence.
Police identified caretaker Varun Kumar, hired three days earlier, as the prime suspect.
Investigators allege Kumar tried to start a fire using a gas pipe and electric iron.
Kumar allegedly fled with Agarwal’s phone and was tracked near railway stations.
Police denied reports of his arrest and deployed multiple teams to find him.
- Who
- Retired IAS officer Rakesh Agarwal was killed; caretaker Varun Kumar is the prime suspect.
- What
- Agarwal was murdered, and investigators allege the suspect attempted to burn the house and fled with the victim’s phone.
- When
- The killing allegedly occurred around midnight on Wednesday; Kumar was reportedly seen boarding a train at 4:12 am, while another account places him near a motorcycle shortly before 3 pm.
- Where
- Agarwal’s residence in Suraj Nagar, within the Ratibad police station limits of Bhopal; sightings were reported at Bhopal, Bina, and Gwalior railway locations.
- Why
- Police believe the attempted fire was intended to destroy evidence; no motive for the killing has been provided.
- Victim
- Rakesh Agarwal, a 70-year-old retired 1982-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre officer
- Suspect
- Varun Kumar, approximately 33, hired through an agency three days before the crime
- Alleged concealment attempt
- A gas cylinder pipe was reportedly placed near a switched-on electric iron
- Escape evidence
- Investigators tracked CCTV footage and brief phone signals using the victim’s mobile phone
- Reported locations
- Bhopal railway station, Bina railway station in Sagar district, and Gwalior
- Police response
- Three to four teams were deployed, with investigators focusing on railway stations
- Residence
- A 7,000–8,000-square-foot house without CCTV cameras