BHOPAL, Sept. 30 -- A 70-year-old retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Rakesh Agarwal, was murdered at his residence in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal's Surajnagar area on Wednesday morning, sparking a manhunt for a newly hired caretaker who has gone missing after the attack, police said.

Agarwal was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon on the neck.

Shailendra Chauhan, additional commissioner of police (Addl CP) Bhopal, said Agarwal's caretaker, Varun Kumar, was the prime suspect.

"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," Chauhan said.

Investigators also found signs of an attempt...