Police investigating the murder of Pune-based realtor Ketan Agarwal have revealed fresh details about the alleged conspiracy involving his fiancee Siya Goyal and her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary. According to investigators, the accused carefully planned every step of the crime, including a secret signal and measures to avoid leaving evidence.
Officials said Goyal, 20, allegedly gave Chaudhary, 22, a pre-decided signal by sitting down shortly before Agarwal was pushed off a cliff at Lohagad Fort on June 18. Police believe Chaudhary then approached the unsuspecting victim from behind and allegedly pushed him into the gorge.
How Siya’s security was ensured
Investigators said the signal was designed not only to indicate the right moment to attack but also to ensure Goyal stayed out of danger.
"The signal was chosen deliberately so that Goyal would not be within the victim's reach during the fatal push. They feared that if Chetan pushed Ketan and the latter tried to grab Siya while falling, she too could fall into the gorge. The plan was made keeping her safety in mind," an official said.
Police said the two had agreed that Goyal would sit down either to drink water or pretend to tie her shoelaces. Sitting down was the agreed signal for Chaudhary to carry out the alleged attack.
Chetan used scooter to avoid toll plaza
Investigators also found that Chaudhary tried to hide his movements on the day of the incident. Instead of travelling by car from Pune to Lohagad Fort, around 90 km away, he allegedly used a scooter to avoid being identified through toll plaza records.
"Chaudhary travelled to Lohgad Fort on the morning of June 18. He chose a scooter over a car as he feared that the car could be detected at a toll plaza. We have seized the scooter," said a police officer involved in the investigation.
After the alleged murder, Chaudhary returned to Pune on the same scooter, police said.
Change of appearance at fort
Investigators further claimed that Chaudhary changed his appearance while at the fort to avoid attracting attention.
"He climbed the fort wearing a hoodie. Later, he removed it and remained in a black T-shirt. While leaving, he put on the hoodie again," the official said, adding that investigators believe it was done to avoid attracting attention.
Crime scene recreated
On Sunday, police took Goyal to Lohagad Fort to recreate the sequence of events. Using a dummy, investigators reconstructed the moment Agarwal was allegedly pushed from the cliff. Officials said the exercise was carried out to establish the exact chain of events surrounding the June 18 incident.
According to police, the accused have admitted that they visited the fort before the incident to identify a suitable location for the crime and also carried out some "practice".
"We are yet to ascertain which other spot they had practised at," said the official.
The police also questioned Goyal's father, mother and brother on Saturday and recorded their statements as part of the investigation. As the police custody of both accused ends on Monday, investigators will produce them before the court and seek an extension of their remand for further questioning.
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