Bhopal Retired IAS Officer Murder: Police Release Suspect’s Poster, Raise Reward To ₹50,000

In the week since retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official Rakesh Agarwal was murdered, police have yet to apprehend the key suspect, caretaker Varun Kumar. The authorities have now released a poster featuring the suspect, and have raised the reward for information leading to his arrest from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000. This move aims to solicit public assistance in tracking down and apprehending the suspect.

The poster will be displayed across Bhopal, as well as in police stations, public places, railway stations, bus stations, and other locations where Varun Kumar is believed to be present. This is to leverage the power of community information to aid the police in locating and arresting the suspect.

A crucial piece of evidence in the investigation is a tattoo of a scorpion on the suspect's throat. This unique feature is considered difficult to conceal or remove easily, making it a valuable clue for identification purposes. However, as of Tuesday, the police have yet to receive any substantial leads regarding Varun Kumar's whereabouts.

Despite the lack of concrete information, authorities believe he might currently be in Delhi or Gwalior. The suspect's lack of mobile phone usage presents a challenge for investigators in tracking his movements. Following a preliminary search, it was discovered that the mobile phone of Agarwal was taken by Varun Kumar and later recovered from one of his acquaintances in Agra. Nonetheless, the recovery has not yet facilitated the identification of the suspect.

Police teams have been actively searching for Varun Kumar in other states and are also scrutinizing his contacts and movements to pinpoint his current location.