Police are actively pursuing Varun Kumar, the prime suspect in the murder of retired IAS officer Rakesh Agarwal in Bhopal, who allegedly attempted arson to conceal the crime before fleeing with the victim's mobile phone.
Key Points
- Retired IAS officer Rakesh Agarwal was murdered in Bhopal, with his caretaker, Varun Kumar, identified as the prime suspect.
- Kumar allegedly attempted to set Agarwal's house on fire using a gas pipe and an electric iron after the murder to destroy evidence.
- The suspect fled with the victim's mobile phone, and his movements are being tracked via CCTV footage and phone signals across railway stations.
- Police have dismissed reports of Kumar's arrest and have deployed multiple teams to apprehend him, focusing on railway hubs.
- The crime scene showed no signs of struggle, suggesting Agarwal was attacked while asleep, and the sprawling residence lacked CCTV cameras.
Police probing the murder of a retired IAS officer here have found that his caretaker, who is the prime suspect in the case, allegedly tried to set the victim's house on fire by disconnecting a gas cylinder pipe and placing it near a hot iron before escaping from the spot following the killing.
Details Of The Crime
The suspect, Varun Kumar (around 33), was hired through an agency just three days before the crime to take care of the 70-year-old former bureaucrat, Rakesh Agarwal, who was unwell, at his Suraj Nagar residence within the Ratibad police station limits.
Investigators believe Agarwal, a 1982-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre officer, was attacked while asleep around midnight on Wednesday, as the crime scene showed no signs of a struggle. Forensic teams found that Kumar attempted to trigger a fire using the gas pipe and an electric iron that he left switched on nearby before escaping.
Tracking The Suspect
Kumar allegedly fled with the victim's mobile phone. Investigators tracked his movements through CCTV footage and brief phone signals, spotting him riding a motorcycle with another person, boarding a train at Bhopal railway station at 4.12 am, and subsequently appearing at Bina railway station in Sagar district and Gwalior, police said.
T T Nagar Assistant Commissioner of Police Ankita Khatarkar dismissed media reports claiming Kumar was arrested in Agra, stating that three to four police teams have fanned out across the state, primarily targeting railway stations to apprehend him.
Victim's Background And Investigation
Kumar is a native of Nabha in Punjab's Patiala district. The victim, who served as a district collector and principal secretary during his career, is survived by his wife and a son living in the US. His funeral will take place on Saturday, his family sources said.
According to the sources familiar with the investigation, Agarwal's wife gave him medicine for some ailment around midnight. At around 1 am on Wednesday, Kumar was seen outside the couple's sprawling 7,000-8,000 square feet residence, which lacked CCTV cameras.
Escape Route Analysis
The suspect was later seen riding a motorcycle with another person shortly before 3 pm and was subsequently spotted at Bhopal railway station.
Investigators are also examining CCTV footage from roads and other locations outside the residence to reconstruct Kumar's escape route, as the sprawling house itself lacked CCTV cameras.
