What initially appeared to be a tragic trekking accident at a historic hill fort in Maharashtra has now turned into a suspected murder conspiracy, with police arresting a Pune woman and her alleged lover over the death of her fiancee, a 26-year-old real estate director.
Ketan Vishal Agrawal died after falling nearly 400 feet into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. At the time, police treated the case as an accidental death after his fiancee, Siya Goyal, told investigators that he had slipped while taking photographs during an outing amid strong winds.
But investigators now say the fall was anything but accidental.
Agarwal, a resident of Gahunje and director of a family-run real estate business, was due to marry Goyal later this year. Family members had already begun extensive wedding preparations, including booking a palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan, for the ceremony.
According to Pune Rural Police, inconsistencies in the circumstances surrounding the death prompted a deeper investigation.
"Our teams examined multiple angles, including financial disputes and personal relationships. During the probe, police allegedly found that Goyal was in a relationship with another man, identified as Chetan Babulal Chaudhary (22), a resident of Kondhwa in Pune," Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said.
Investigators allege that Goyal did not want to marry Agarwal and viewed him as an obstacle to her relationship with Chaudhary.
Police say the pair then conspired to kill him.
According to investigators, Goyal persuaded Agarwal to visit Lohagad Fort, a popular trekking destination linked to the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and recognised as part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing of Maratha forts.
Chaudhary was allegedly called to the location later, and the two then pushed Agarwal into the gorge, police said.
The case took a decisive turn after the local crime branch detained Chaudhary for questioning.
During interrogation, investigators alleged that Chaudhary admitted that he and Goyal had planned to eliminate Agarwal because he had become an obstacle to their relationship.
Goyal was later arrested based on information that emerged during the questioning, police said.
"Following a complaint lodged by Ketan's father, Vishal Agarwal, the Lonavala rural police registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Tuesday," Gill said.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing as officers work to establish the exact sequence of events, gather forensic evidence and determine whether any other individuals were involved in the alleged conspiracy.
(With inputs from PTI)
