Retired IAS officer Rakesh Agarwal, 70, was found dead with a slit throat in his bungalow on Suraj Nagar street in Bhopal on Wednesday morning. His wife, who had gone to bed in another room, discovered the body and immediately called the police. The house help, hired two days earlier through an agency, has gone missing and is now the main suspect.
Agarwal had served the Madhya Pradesh cadre for 30 years before retiring in 2022. He lived with his wife in a two‑storey bungalow equipped with CCTV cameras and multiple security measures. Neighbors recall seeing the house help arrive early on Wednesday.
Bhopal Police have deployed three search teams across the city and surrounding districts to locate the missing domestic worker. Investigators are reviewing footage from the bungalow’s cameras as well as nearby shop cameras that may show the suspect’s exit. Police are canvassing neighbors and anyone who might have come to the house between 9 a.m. and noon.
The body has been sent to the Bhopal Forensic Medical Examiner for a post‑mortem, and forensic scientists are analysing blood spatter and other evidence at the scene. The investigation is still in its early stages, but the police have already questioned the agency that recruited the help and are looking into his background.
The case will be presented to the Bhopal Police Commissioner’s office for further action, and the search is expected to continue until the suspect is located. Police also plan to release a statement once the post‑mortem report is ready.