BHOPAL: A retired IAS officer, Rakesh Agrawal, was allegedly found dead with his throat slit at his residence behind Panghat Colony in Suraj Nagar in Ratibad early Wednesday morning.A caretaker, who had reportedly been hired through an agency just four days ago, was found missing from the house.Police suspect the caretaker may have fled after the incident. His belongings, except for a pair of clothes, were reportedly missing from the premises. He is said to be from Punjab.According to preliminary information, Agrawal and his wife slept in separate rooms. Around 4am, his wife woke up and found the door of her room latched from outside.She called another caretaker, Amar, who stayed in the servant quarters. Amar opened the door, following which they checked Agrawal’s room and found that it too had been latched from outside.When the door was opened, Agrawal was found lying dead inside. His throat had allegedly been slit.Teams from Ratibad police station, along with senior police officers and forensic experts, reached the spot and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. The forensic team examined the scene and collected evidence.Senior IAS officers also reached the residence after learning about the incident. Police are investigating the missing caretaker’s whereabouts and examining the circumstances leading up to Agrawal’s death.ACP Ankita Khatarkar said retired IAS officer Rakesh Agrawal had been discharged from hospital around 20 days ago after treatment for a slip disc-related condition.Police identified the absconding caretaker as Varun Kumar, who had been hired through an agency three days ago as a 24-hour caretaker-cum-male nurse. Kumar is currently untraceable, and police suspect he may have fled after the incident.According to ACP Khatarkar, some almirahs at the house were found open, indicating that robbery could be a possible motive behind the murder. Police are examining the scene and other evidence to establish the sequence of events.The nozzles of LPG cylinders in the kitchen were also found open. Police suspect the cylinders may have been deliberately left leaking, possibly in an attempt to trigger a fire at the house.Agrawal’s son is currently in the US. The house did not have CCTV cameras installed, prompting police teams to scan footage from cameras installed in the surrounding area to establish the suspected accused’s exit route and trace his movements.Investigators are continuing efforts to locate Kumar and ascertain the circumstances surrounding Agrawal’s death.The murder time is suspected to be between 2am and 3am.
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