Wife locked in bedroom and a missing caretaker: Ex-IAS officer’s murder gets murkier
Nishi Agrawal found her husband Rakesh murdered in their home, with the caretaker Varun now a prime suspect. She discovered her bedroom door was locked from the outside, prompting immediate action from the cook Amar. They found evidence of a potential gas leak, indicating a possible motive for arson. Police believe the murder occurred between 12:30 am and 2:00 am while Varun was seen on CCTV…
Bhopal: Retired IAS officer Rakesh Agrawal's murder is becoming increasingly unclear as new details emerge. His widow Nishi informed police she attempted to open her bedroom door around 4:40 am on Wednesday, only to discover it locked from the outside. Amar, the family's cook, stated he saw Varun, the 24/7 caretaker and now the prime suspect, outside the house at 1 am. Varun claimed he was checking after hearing a door open, then proceeded to Agrawal's room.
Upon finding her bedroom door locked, Nishi alerted Neetu, Amar's wife at the adjoining servants' quarters. Neetu then informed Rakesh, who had a spare key, the police reported. Amar entered the house and, finding the main door locked, managed to open it and unlock the bedroom. As they emerged, they detected a strong odor of leaking gas throughout the house. They inspected the kitchen, discovering all LPG cylinder pipes disconnected. Amar swiftly removed the cylinders to avert a possible fire.
They then searched Agrawal's room, where Nishi's hand was covered in blood upon attempting to wake him. Amar checked for a pulse, finding none. The caretaker Varun was nowhere to be found. ACP Ankita Khatarkar stated Agrawal had been released from the hospital approximately 20 days prior following a slipped disc-related issue.
The police, who conducted a thorough search of the scene, believe the disconnected LPG pipes were likely intentionally severed to ignite a fire. Crucially, Varun was captured on CCTV footage in Suraj Nagar around 2:15 am, appearing to flee. The murder is believed to have occurred between 12:30 am and 2 am on Wednesday. The body was sent for post-mortem examination and kept in a frozen state at the mortuary post-procedure.
Nishi, distraught by her husband's death, experienced a sudden surge in blood pressure and was rushed to a hospital. The operator of the agency in Bag Sewania that employed Varun was questioned by police. According to the agency's operator, Varun contacted him via an online number in August 2026 and subsequently traveled from Patiala, Punjab, to Bhopal. He provided various documents to the operator, as confirmed by the police.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
