BHOPAL: A month-long search across state borders for the prime accused in the murder of a retired IAS officer ended in Agra on Monday, which ended with the accused injured in a police encounter on the outskirts of Bhopal early Tuesday after he allegedly attempted to snatch a policeman’s service pistol and escape from custody.
Varun Kumar, the caretaker accused of murdering former Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Rakesh Agrawal, was arrested in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday evening. He was being brought to Bhopal when the incident occurred near Mughalia Chhap village at around 4.45 am on Tuesday.
According to a senior Bhopal police officer, Kumar asked to get down from the police vehicle, ostensibly to relieve himself. He allegedly used the opportunity to overpower a member of the police escort and snatch his service pistol,a brief exchange of fire during which a bullet struck him in the leg.
Kumar was subsequently taken into custody and admitted to Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal for treatment.
He is the prime accused in the September 30 murder of Agrawal, whose body was found inside his residence. His arrest is expected to help investigators establish the motive behind the killing and reconstruct the events leading up to the retired bureaucrat's death.
Agrawal, a 1982-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, was found dead at his farmhouse in Suraj Nagar, under Ratibad police station limits, on September 30. His throat had been slit. He was around 70 years old and had held several important administrative positions during a career spanning more than three decades, including serving as director general of the RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration and Management in Bhopal.
Agrawal, a 1982-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, was found murdered with a slit throat at his farmhouse in Suraj Nagar, under the jurisdiction of Ratibad police station, on September 30. Aged around 70, Agrawal had served in several key administrative positions during his career spanning more than three decades, including as director general of the RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration and Management in Bhopal.
The circumstances surrounding his death had immediately drawn suspicion towards Kumar, who had been employed as a caretaker-cum-male nurse through an agency just three days before the incident. Agrawal had reportedly been recovering from a slip-disc condition and required assistance at home.
Agrawal’s wife, who was sleeping in another room, reportedly woke up around 4 am to find her bedroom door latched from outside. With the help of another caretaker, she managed to get out and discovered her husband's body.
Kumar, meanwhile, had disappeared. Investigators also found cupboards open and household belongings scattered. Police suspected a possible robbery angle and examined the possibility that the accused had attempted to destroy evidence by tampering with the kitchen's LPG connection.
The search subsequently expanded beyond Madhya Pradesh. Police teams pursued leads in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and other locations, examined footage from hundreds of CCTV cameras and questioned people connected with the accused. A special investigation team was constituted, while a reward of Rs 50,000 was announced for information leading to his arrest.
The delay had also prompted the MP IAS Association to approach the state government, seeking faster progress in the investigation, after which a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted on October 21.