Bhopal: A month-long investigation spanning nine states, surveillance of more than 2,500 CCTV cameras and questioning of over 100 people led Madhya Pradesh Police to the arrest of Varun Valmiki, the caretaker accused of murdering retired IAS officer Rakesh Agrawal at his residence in Bhopal.
The 27-year-old was arrested near the Agra-Mathura road in Uttar Pradesh on November 2, more than a month after Agrawal, a 1982-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer, was found dead at his residence in Suraj Nagar on September 30.
Police said the accused had fled Bhopal shortly after the incident and repeatedly changed locations to evade investigators. His arrest followed an extensive search operation involving the Crime Branch, local police teams and a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The accused allegedly attempted to escape from police custody while being brought back to Bhopal on November 3. According to police, he snatched a service pistol from a policeman and tried to attack the team, following which he was injured in a brief exchange of fire near Mughalia Chhap.
How Police Tracked the Accused Across Nine States
Following the murder, Bhopal Police formed multiple teams to trace the missing caretaker. The investigation eventually expanded across nine states and Union Territories:
- Madhya Pradesh
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Haryana
- Chandigarh
- Punjab
- Delhi
- Uttarakhand
- Karnataka
According to the police, investigators examined footage from more than 2,500 CCTV cameras and questioned over 100 people, including the accused’s relatives, friends, former colleagues and acquaintances.
The investigation reconstructed his movements through Bhopal, Gwalior, Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan, while teams also pursued leads in other locations.
Police personnel reportedly adopted different disguises to avoid attracting attention during the search. They posed as vegetable vendors, labourers, auto-rickshaw drivers and other workers while surveying suspected hideouts.
Teams also searched railway stations, bus stands, temples, religious establishments, shelters and other locations where the accused might have been staying.
CCTV Footage Traced His Escape from Bhopa
Investigators used CCTV footage to reconstruct the accused’s movements in the hours following the murder.
According to the police, Valmiki left Agrawal’s residence at approximately 2:30 am on September 30. Further examination of surveillance footage showed him boarding the Kerala Express at Bhopal railway station at around 4:12 am.
The footage provided investigators with an important lead in tracing his initial escape route.
Police subsequently established that he had travelled through several cities, including Gwalior, Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan, before moving to other locations.
Investigators said the accused frequently changed his whereabouts and avoided using a mobile phone, making technical surveillance difficult. The police therefore relied heavily on information gathered from people associated with him and physical surveillance.
A Special Investigation Team headed by Additional Inspector General Umesh Tiwari coordinated the operation with the Crime Branch and Zone 1 police.
Previous Complaints Against Caretaker at Home-Care Agencies
During the investigation, police examined Valmiki’s previous employment history and found complaints concerning his conduct at different workplaces.
According to investigators, he had worked with home-care and housekeeping agencies in Jaipur, Gwalior and Nainital before being employed at Agrawal’s residence through a Bhopal-based agency.
Police identified the following details from his previous work history:
- Jaipur, June 2026: Valmiki reportedly obtained a caretaker assignment through a home-care agency but was removed following complaints about his behaviour.
- Nainital, December 2025–February 2026: He reportedly worked as a caretaker for a 92-year-old retired person. Police said they received information about an alleged attempt to strangle the elderly person, following which neighbours intervened and he was removed from the assignment.
- Gwalior, August 2026: He was allegedly involved in the theft of a mobile phone belonging to a home-nursing agency. Police said no FIR had been registered in connection with the incident.
Investigators are examining these previous complaints as part of the wider probe into the accused’s background and employment history.
What Happened at Retired IAS Officer Rakesh Agrawal’s Residence?
Rakesh Agrawal, 70, was found dead inside his residence in Suraj Nagar, under the Ratibad police station limits of Bhopal, on September 30.
His body was discovered with severe injuries to the neck, reportedly caused by a sharp-edged weapon.
According to the police investigation, Valmiki had been employed as his caretaker through a Bhopal-based home healthcare and housekeeping agency just three days before the incident.
A domestic worker, Amar Singh Paliwal, informed the police after discovering Agrawal’s body. His wife was in another room at the time and later found that her bedroom door could not be opened from inside, prompting her to seek assistance.
Police registered a murder case and launched a search for the missing caretaker.
Police Yet to Establish Complete Motive
Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said investigators were still examining the circumstances and motive behind the murder.
During questioning, the accused reportedly told investigators that Agrawal had scolded him and behaved badly towards him, which had angered him.
However, the police commissioner said the motive had not yet been fully established, particularly in view of the accused’s alleged attempt to escape from custody.
Investigators are continuing to examine the sequence of events, the circumstances surrounding the murder and other evidence collected during the investigation.
Accused Injured in Escape Attempt While Being Taken to Bhopal
After his arrest in Agra on November 2, Valmiki was being transported to Bhopal when the alleged escape attempt took place near Mughalia Chhap early on November 3.
According to the police, he attempted to snatch a policeman’s service weapon and attack the accompanying personnel. A brief exchange of fire followed, during which he sustained a bullet injury to his leg.
He was subsequently taken to Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal for treatment.
The arrest brought an end to a month-long search operation, but the investigation into the murder of the retired IAS officer remains ongoing.
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