A retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Rakesh Agrawal, was found dead at his residence in Madhya Pradesh’s capital, Bhopal on Tuesday, the police reported on Wednesday. Police said they are suspecting the involvement of a domestic worker whom Agrawal had hired just two days prior to the incident. Sources familiar with the case said that the suspect is at large, and efforts are on to nab him.

Agrawal lived in Bhopal’s Suraj Nagar along with his wife, officials said. He was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon on the neck. His caretaker, identified as Varun Kumar, is being suspected to be the accused and has been unaccounted for since the incident.

Kumar’s belongings missing from house: Cops

Additional Commissioner (Law and Order) of Bhopal, Shailendra Singh Chauhan, told the media that Kumar’s valuables had also been missing after the incident. Chauhan said, “Kumar has been missing since the incident and his belongings were also not found in the house. He was hired just two days ago, on September 28, through a Punjab-based placement agency.”

He went on to say that multiple police teams have been formed to track down and apprehend Kumar, while the cops are also contacting the Punjab-based agency which facilitated his employment.

Besides this, police are also persevering in efforts to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the alleged murder.

Gas leak raises suspicion of arson attempt

Police officials aware of the incident said they also found indications of a possible attempt to set the house ablaze. Police said the LPG cylinder pipe in the kitchen had been disconnected and the premises was filled with gas when the cops rushed to the scene.

A senior cop said Agrawal’s wife woke up at around 5:30 am and was preparing to leave for her morning walk when she learnt that the main door of the house had been locked from outside.

She then called another domestic worker, named Rajan Thapa, and went to Agrawal’s room, where she allegedly discovered his body lying on the floor. She immediately raised an alarm with the police, the officer added.

Robbery angle under police scanner

During inspection, police also found several almirahs inside the house open, raising the possibility that robbery could be the motive behind the murder. The cops are now examining whether any valuables or other belongings were taken from the residence.

A probe into the incident is underway, and the police are yet to establish the exact reason behind Agrawal’s murder. Kumar’s alleged involvement is also subject to investigation and has not been established by a court.