Hoodie in June heat, phone left at office: How cops cracked Pune fort murder

A CCTV camera installed near the fort's ticket counter captured a hooded man, later identified as Chetan Chaudhary, on June 18 trailing Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal and his fiancée Siya Goyal. Just hours later, Ketan was dead.

In Short

• Hooded man spotted in 33°C heat at Lohagad raised suspicion
• CCTV showed Chetan following Ketan and Siya before Ketan's death
• Siya and Chetan confessed to pushing Ketan into gorge

What was initially being seen as a tragic trekking accident at Pune’s historic Lohagad Fort turned into a murder investigation after one unusual detail caught the attention of police — a man wearing a hoodie on a warm 33-degree day in June.

A CCTV camera installed near the fort’s ticket counter captured the hooded man, later identified as Chetan Chaudhary, following 26-year-old Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal and his 20-year-old fiancee, Siya Goyal, on June 18.

Just hours later, Ketan was dead.

The footage soon emerged as a crucial lead. The man's concealed face, unusual clothing and suspicious movements prompted investigators to take a closer look at what had initially been registered as an accidental death. Their suspicions deepened when they discovered that Chetan had left his phone behind at his workplace on the day of Ketan's death and had switched off its internet services.

Piece by piece, investigators began reconstructing what they believe happened that day.

THE MAN WEARING A HOODIE IN JUNE

A police officer involved in the investigation said the initial probe raised questions about the circumstances of Ketan’s death.

"While investigating the case, we stumbled upon certain circumstances surrounding the incident that raised suspicion and prompted a deeper probe. We checked the CCTV cameras installed at the ticket counter of the fort, where we spotted Ketan and Siya walking together," the officer said.

While analysing the footage closely, investigators noticed another person following the couple.

"The man was wearing shorts and a hoodie. The front part of the hoodie was pulled so low that his face could not be seen. Additionally, the man was wearing a headset over the hoodie. In another footage clip, we noticed Siya suddenly looking back and, at the same time, the man in the hoodie suddenly sitting down," the official said.

The officer said investigators later checked the weather conditions at the time of the incident.

"They later checked the temperature at that particular time on June 18 and found it was 33 degrees Celsius, prompting questions about why anyone would wear a hoodie in such heat," he said.

WHAT HAPPENED ON JUNE 18

According to investigators, Chetan was not visibly part of Siya’s group when they arrived at Lohagad Fort on June 18. Police said he had left his phone at his shop to avoid location tracking and carried an employee’s phone instead.

Chetan’s internet connection also remained switched off from 7 am to 5:40 pm, a detail that further heightened police suspicion.

As part of the probe, police questioned all those who made incoming calls to Chetan’s number on the day of the incident. According to investigators, the callers confirmed that Chetan himself did not answer those calls; his shop workers responded instead.

When Siya’s group reached a spot on the fort where the gorge dropped sharply, investigators alleged Chetan joined them from behind.

Ketan fell nearly 400 feet and died at the bottom of the gorge.

Siya then called Lonavala Rural Police and said her fiance had slipped while taking photographs near the valley. She cited strong winds and described it as an accident.

Police registered an accidental death report.

On June 19, rescue teams recovered Ketan’s body after a difficult operation in rugged terrain. He was declared dead at a hospital.

THOUSANDS OF CALLS AND DIGITAL TRAIL

After the CCTV footage, police expanded the probe and analysed technical evidence, including call detail records and digital communication data.

According to investigators, Siya’s call records revealed extensive communication with Chetan.

"We found thousands of calls exchanged between the two over an extended period, including several conversations lasting for hours," the officer said.

"The technical analysis established a close connection between the duo and pointed towards a well-thought-out conspiracy. We then examined photographs and social media profiles linked to Chaudhary. A comparison of those images with CCTV footage from the fort showing a hooded individual in the area helped police narrow their focus on him," he added.

Police claimed the motive appeared to be Siya’s relationship with Chetan and her alleged unwillingness to continue with her marriage to Ketan.

"During the interrogation, Chetan was asked why they did not consider running away and instead chose to eliminate Ketan. According to him, Siya was not in favour of calling off the engagement and eloping with Chetan, as she thought doing so would bring disrespect to her family," the officer said.

FROM ENGAGEMENT TO MURDER CONSPIRACY

Police said Ketan and Siya had got engaged in February and were scheduled to have a grand wedding in Udaipur in November, with a palace venue booked for the ceremony.

However, investigators said Ketan’s family members revealed that Siya had earlier expressed doubts about the marriage and had once asked whether the wedding could be postponed by a year.

Police said enquiries with Ketan’s sister Sanjana and other relatives revealed that Siya had repeatedly insisted that Ketan visit Lohagad Fort.

According to investigators, Siya had taken Ketan to Lohagad on May 31 and again wanted to visit on June 4, but his mother stopped him.

Police claimed that on June 14, Siya allegedly attempted to push Ketan from the cliff, but he managed to hold onto a bush. When Ketan questioned what had happened, she allegedly raised an alarm about a snake and presented the incident as if she had saved him.

Investigators said the final plan was allegedly executed on June 18.

Investigators ultimately concluded that Ketan's death was not an accident, but part of a planned killing allegedly carried out by Siya and 22-year-old Chetan Chaudhary, who police say were in a relationship, just months before the couple's wedding.

Both Siya and Chetan are in custody, and police claim the two admitted their involvement during interrogation.

- Ends
(With inputs from Omkar Wable and PTI)