PUNE: Accused Chetan Chaudhary fatally pushed real estate firm director Ketan Agarwal off a cliff at Lohagad Fort on June 18, allegedly acting on a plan hatched with Agarwal’s fiancée, Siya Goyal, the Pune Rural police said on Wednesday, a day after arresting the two on charge of murdering Gahunje realtor.Deputy superintendent of police (Pune Rural) Gajanan Tompe said Market Yard resident Goyal and her partner, Chaudhary, meticulously plotted the murder.“Kondhwa resident Chaudhary followed the couple to a secluded cliff near the Vinchu Kata ridge overlooking Pavana dam and waited for a pre-decided signal from Goyal. They had agreed that Goyal would sit down to alert Chaudhary. Once she did, he approached Agarwal from behind and pushed him off the cliff before fleeing,” Tompe said.Breakthrough in the case came from CCTV footage near Lohagad’s foothills, which showed a hooded man (later identified as Chaudhary) trailing the couple.“We also observed Goyal signalling to him. Chaudhary spent less than 10 minutes at the top of the fort and completed the ascent and descent in under 50 minutes. A security guard recalled the man claiming he had come for exercise when questioned about entry,” inspector Dinesh Tayade of the Lonavla Rural police said.The police believe Chaudhary attempted to avoid detection by leaving his cellphone at his Market Yard shop and carrying an employee’s device instead.“The employee is currently being questioned,” the police said.
Cops join the dots
Murder location chosen with careful planning: Cop
Inspector Tayade said Goyal and Chaudhary deliberately chose the murder location because it was relatively isolated and typically had fewer visitors on weekdays.“The spot was more secluded than other areas of the fort. We suspect the duo may have visited earlier to conduct reconnaissance. We are interrogating them,” the officer said.Sunil Gaikwad of Shivdurga Mitra, who assisted in retrieving Agarwal’s body, said the location was sparsely visited between Monday and Wednesday.“Devotees also visit the dargah on the fort on Thursdays and Fridays, which is on the other side. There are fewer visitors to the fort between Monday and Wednesday. Hardly anyone visits that spot,” Gaikwad said.
Goyal’s inconsistent statement
The police said suspicion first arose after Goyal gave inconsistent statements. “She first claimed Agarwal slipped while posing for a photograph, later saying he fell while handing her a water bottle. We, however, found no photographs on her cellphone from that day. This raised further suspicion,” inspector Dinesh Tayade of Lonavla Rural police said.In another development, investigators revealed that Goyal had earlier sabotaged a planned pre-wedding trip to Bali on June 6 by tearing Agarwal’s passport and discarding it in a restroom near the Khalapur toll plaza.“She later admitted to the act, saying Chaudhary opposed the trip,” Tayade said.
3 murder attempts
Over 6 months, accused duo spent 238 hrs on phone: Police
Call detail records further indicated the extent of their relationship. The officer said Goyal and Chaudhary, who had been involved for around eight months despite her engagement, were in frequent contact.“Between Jan 1 and June 18, they spoke over 2,000 times, with conversations totalling 238 hours,” the inspector said.The police said the accused were acquainted through their families’ businesses.Goyal’s family deals in spices, while Chaudhary’s family runs a grocery business. Chaudhary is pursuing a BBA degree and has a background in cricket.Chaudhary’s family has denied the allegations. His uncle, Udaram, said they were unaware of any relationship between him and Goyal.“We only heard her name in the news. My nephew is innocent,” he said.The police are continuing their probe, including whether the pair conducted reconnaissance visits to the fort before carrying out the alleged crime.
