Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal's murder: Third arrest in case as police nab friend of Siya’s lover

Pune: Investigators probing the murder of Pune-based real estate businessman Ketan Agarwal at Lohagad Fort have arrested a third suspect, police confirmed on Saturday. The arrested individual, identified as 22-year-old Ritesh Hange, is a friend of Chetan Chaudhary, the alleged lover of the victim's fiancee, Siya Goyal.

Ritesh was arrested on Friday after forensic analysis of a recovered mobile phone exposed his alleged involvement in the murder conspiracy. He was subsequently produced before the Vadgaon Maval Sessions Court, which remanded him to police custody until September 12.

Forensic evidence uncovers murder conspiracy

According to investigators, digital evidence recovered from Ritesh’s phone revealed active involvement in planning the crime alongside Siya (20) and Chetan (22).

“During the investigation, it came to light that Ritesh was involved in the planning of Ketan Agarwal's murder,” said Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill.

Another police officer detailed that Ritesh was aware of earlier schemes to break Agarwal’s limbs before executing him. Following the crime on June 18, Chetan contacted Ritesh to confirm the killing. Mobile phone records retrieved by police revealed detailed chats discussing pushing Agarwal off the fort cliff and subsequently destroying evidence. Ritesh, a native of Beed, is currently facing police interrogation.

From accidental fall to murder investigation

The case was initially registered as an accidental death after Siya Goyal claimed that 28-year-old Ketan Agarwal slipped and fell into a gorge while posing for photographs during a trek on June 18. However, persistent doubts raised by the victim's sister exposed major inconsistencies in Siya’s account during a condolence visit four days after the incident.

Following formal complaints from Agarwal’s family, Pune Rural Police launched a fresh probe. Technical analysis, CCTV tracking and forensic scrutiny revealed an ongoing affair between Siya and Chetan, who had recorded over 2,000 phone calls spanning 238 hours between January and June, alongside extensive FaceTime and WhatsApp communication.

CCTV footage captured a suspicious man wearing a hoodie in the June heat tracking Agarwal and Goyal's movements near Lohagad Fort. Police identified the man as Chaudhary and subsequently arrested both him and Goyal on June 23, establishing that the duo pushed Agarwal off the cliff because he was seen as an obstacle to their relationship.

Family suspects earlier sabotage attempt

The victim's father, Vishal Agarwal, alleged that the murder occurred just days after a planned pre-wedding photoshoot in Bali, was derailed under suspicious circumstances. On June 6, while en route to Mumbai Airport with family members, Siya briefly returned alone to the vehicle at a food mall, claiming to retrieve her mobile phone. Upon reaching the airport, only Ketan Agarwal’s passport was missing from a single pouch holding all travel documents, forcing him to return home.

The murder at Lohagad Fort took place 12 days later, during what was the couple's third trekking trip to the location within three weeks.

(with PTI inputs)