Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A week after the murder of retired IAS official Rakesh Agarwal, police have yet to arrest the prime suspect, caretaker Varun Kumar. Police have now released a poster of the suspect and increased the reward for information leading to his arrest from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000.
The posters will be put up across Bhopal and five states at police stations, public places, railway stations, bus stations and other locations where the suspect is believed to have a presence.
The move is aimed at seeking information from the public that can help the police trace and arrest him.
Police officials said that the tattoo of a scorpion on the throat of the suspect is a crucial clue as it cannot be removed so easily. People may easily recognise him through the tattoo and inform police in case he is spotted.
Even on Tuesday, police failed to get any concrete clue about Varun Kumar. Police sources, however, said he could be in Delhi or Gwalior. As the suspect is reportedly not using a mobile phone, tracking his location has become difficult for the investigators.
Retired IAS official Rakesh Agarwal was murdered by Varun Kumar last Wednesday. The suspect allegedly slit Agarwal’s throat before fleeing with cash, the latter’s mobile phone and other valuables.
The mobile phone was later recovered by the police from one of Varun Kumar’s acquaintances in Agra.
However, the recovery has not yet helped investigators locate the suspect. Police teams have been searching for Varun Kumar in other states and are also examining his contacts and movements to trace his whereabouts.
