Pune Rural Police Arrest Third Suspect in Ketan Agarwal Murder Case

Pune Rural Police arrested 22-year-old Ritesh Hinge on Saturday in connection with the June 18 murder of realtor Ketan Agarwal at Lohagad Fort. Investigators say Hinge had prior knowledge of the conspiracy hatched by Agarwal’s fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her boyfriend, Chetan Choudhary, making him the third person detained in the case.

The investigation into the death of 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal has shifted decisively from a suspected trekking mishap to an alleged premeditated murder plot. Agarwal died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort on June 18 while visiting the location with his 20-year-old fiancée, Siya Goyal. What initially presented as a tragic accident unravelled into a meticulously planned murder after the victim’s family raised questions about inconsistencies in Goyal’s account.

Arrest of Ritesh Hinge and the Conspiracy Details

Authorities have taken a third suspect into custody as they piece together the alleged conspiracy. Pune Rural Police arrested Ritesh Hinge, a 22-year-old private company employee in Pune’s Balewadi area and a former classmate of prime accused Chetan Choudhary. Hinge has been remanded in police custody until September 12 following his apprehension.

According to investigators, Hinge was aware of the plot well before the fatal incident at the fort. Police sources indicate that Choudhary and Goyal discussed the execution of the crime with Hinge and repeatedly asked him to join them at Lohagad Fort on the day of the murder, though he declined the invitation.

Police officials added that Hinge received a phone call from Choudhary immediately after the murder occurred. Investigators traced Hinge using data recovered from Choudhary’s mobile phone.

Motive and Prior Rehearsals Uncovered by Investigators

Agarwal and Goyal got engaged on February 19 and planned to marry later in the year. However, investigators state that Goyal had maintained a relationship with Choudhary since October and viewed Agarwal as an obstacle.

Pune Rural Police Arrest Third Suspect in Ketan Agarwal Murder Case — Photo: Rediff

The plot involved multiple steps designed to isolate or eliminate the victim. Prior to the fatal incident, Goyal allegedly sabotaged a planned pre-wedding trip.

A family member of Ketan Agarwal, quoted in a report by India Today, stated that the group had planned a pre-wedding shoot in Bali but encountered an issue when Agarwal’s passport went missing during a stop at a food mall on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, forcing him to return home.

Investigators also discovered that days before the fatal push at Lohagad Fort, the primary suspects practiced executing their plan in an open space near a club lounge in Pune’s Lulla Nagar area. Police previously suspected an earlier attempt on June 14, when the pair allegedly tried to frighten Agarwal near the edge of a gorge by staging a snake scare.

CCTV Footage and Circumstantial Evidence

The case against Goyal and Choudhary rests heavily on technical and circumstantial evidence. Security camera footage from the fort’s ticket counter captured Choudhary wearing a hoodie while following Agarwal and Goyal up the trail.

Investigators found that Choudhary left his own phone at his workplace and carried an employee’s device instead in an apparent bid to obscure his movements. Police maintain that Goyal and Choudhary pushed Agarwal off the cliff after initially claiming he lost his footing while taking photographs near the precipice.

“He was aware of the earlier plan of Goyal and Choudhary to injure Ketan by breaking his hands and legs and subsequently eliminate him.”

Unnamed police officer, via Times of India

Current Custody Status of the Accused

Both Siya Goyal and Chetan Choudhary remain in judicial custody following their initial arrests on June 23. Ritesh Hinge is detained under police remand as investigators continue to examine phone records, location data, and statements to establish the full extent of the conspiracy.

Ketan Agarwal Death Case: Pune Rural Police Make Third Arrest In Lohagad Fort Probe | NewsX

“We have arrested a 22-year-old friend of Chetan in the case. This friend was aware of the conspiracy to eliminate Ketan prior to the incident and was told about the murder after the incident. Further details about his role will be shared soon.”

Pune Rural Police officer, via The Indian Express