The suspect, Chetan, was captured on CCTV wearing a hoodie in hot weather, a detail that has led investigators to suspect a conspiracy between Siya (R) and Chetan in the murder of Ketan Agrawal (L)
PUNE: What was meant to be a birthday outing has now emerged as the setting for an alleged murder, with investigators piecing together the final moments of 26-year-old Ketan Agrawal, whose death at Lohagad Fort was initially reported as a trekking accident.According to police, Agrawal had climbed the historic fort on the morning of June 18 with his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and two of her close friends to celebrate her upcoming birthday.During the trek, Agrawal was clicking photographs amid strong winds when he allegedly fell nearly 400 feet into a deep gorge. Based on the initial account provided to authorities, police registered an accidental death report, news agency PTI reported.Investigators said Agrawal, a resident of Gahunje near Pune and a director in his family’s real estate business, was an experienced trekker, a detail that later raised doubts within his family.Relatives questioned how someone familiar with trekking terrain could lose balance so suddenly, prompting them to approach police with their suspicions.Those doubts proved to be a turning point. Pune Rural Police, during a subsequent probe, examined technical evidence, witness statements and confidential inputs. Police said these findings contradicted the accident theory and pointed to a planned act.According to investigators, Goyal was allegedly in touch with a friend, Chetan Chaudhary, for about a year.“The two (Siya and Chetan) had known each other for about a year. They conspired to execute this plan; at Lohagad Fort, they pushed Ketan Agarwal, causing him to fall to his death,” Gill said.Investigators stated that Agrawal was pushed moments after clicking photographs.Senior police officials said the emerging evidence suggested the trip was not merely a celebration but part of a premeditated plan.Sandeep Singh Gill, superintendent of police (Pune Rural), said the police checked the footage of CCTV on the fort and found one person who had covered his face with a hoodie while climbing it. The police became suspicious as the person was wearing the hoodie in the scorching heat.“That person was Chaudhary. He was captured on CCTV cameras at a few more spots,” Gill said.Both Goyal and Chaudhary have been taken into custody by Lonavala Rural Police, and a murder case has been registered against them.During interrogation, police claim the accused confessed to their roles, while further investigation is underway to establish the complete sequence of events and motive.What began as a birthday trek, police said, has now been reconstructed as a case of alleged betrayal, where a last photograph and a family’s refusal to accept an accident narrative ultimately led investigators to reclassify the death as murder.
