Reward announced for absconding caretaker in retired IAS officer’s murder in Bhopal

Bhopal: Police have announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Varun Kumar, the absconding caretaker accused in the murder of retired IAS officer Rakesh Agarwal at his residence in Bhopal.

The accused has been on the run since the incident, and a dozen police teams are currently searching for him across five states. According to police sources, a reward of “Rs 50000 has been announced on him,” as the search for Varun Kumar is underway in Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

Teams are conducting raids at his possible hideouts and locations linked to his relatives. Family members in Patiala and other places have already been questioned. Technical teams are actively analysing the accused’s mobile and digital footprints to track his movements.

Police have also examined CCTV footage of the routes he took after the crime. Investigation so far indicates that after the incident, Varun reached Bhopal railway station and boarded a train heading towards Delhi.

Preliminary police investigations have revealed that the accused, Varun, is originally from Gwalior. He obtained the documents using his elder sister's address, who lives in Patiala, Punjab.

Police are now coordinating with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh Police to intensify efforts to arrest the accused.

With the help of the cyber cell, the accused's mobile phone's IMEI number and tower location are being analysed to trace his movements.

Separate teams have been deployed to gather information about his possible contacts and potential hideouts.

Retired IAS officer Rakesh Agarwal was murdered on Wednesday morning at his residence in Surajnagar, Bhopal. His body was found lying on the floor of a room, with sharp-weapon injuries visible on the neck. Locks of the almirahs in the house were found broken. In the kitchen, the pipe of an LPG cylinder had been disconnected, filling the entire house with gas, suggesting an attempt to set the house on fire after the murder.

Police said the investigation is progressing on multiple fronts, with teams continuing to comb through digital evidence and physical locations linked to the absconding caretaker. Further details are expected as the multi-state search intensifies, and technical analysis yields more leads.

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