‘Surprise birthday plan' was the bait that allegedly brought 26-year-old businessman Ketan Agarwal to Lohagad Fort on June 18.

What awaited him there, according to the police charge sheet, was a carefully worked-out plan that allegedly involved a fake Instagram account, murder films, podcasts and even ChatGPT.

The chilling details have emerged in a 5,053-page charge sheet filed by Pune Police on Saturday in the sensational murder case.

Agarwal was allegedly pushed from Lohagad Fort by his fiancee Siya Goyal, with the alleged assistance of her purported lover Chetan Chaudhary and another accused, Ritesh Hange. All three have been arrested.

According to investigators, the plan did not begin with an immediate decision to kill Agarwal.

The accused initially discussed seriously injuring him and even considered bringing in an outsider from outside Maharashtra to carry out the attack.

Police said the idea was eventually abandoned over fears that the hired attacker could expose the conspiracy or create complications.

A person contacted during this phase has since been made a witness, according to the media report.

The investigation claims the accused later shifted towards carrying out the killing themselves.

As part of their alleged preparations, they watched murder films, used ChatGPT and listened to podcasts that discussed ways of avoiding detection by police.

They also reportedly researched the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case involving Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi, who was allegedly killed by his wife, Sonam, during their honeymoon in East Khasi Hills last year.

A crucial part of the alleged plan was the creation of a fake Instagram profile called ‘Mahi’.

Police said the account used a photograph of a woman known to the accused and was created to lure Agarwal to Lohagad Fort.

Messages sent from the account allegedly persuaded Agarwal to come to the location on June 18 under the impression that a surprise birthday plan for Goyal had been arranged.

According to the charge sheet, the idea of using the fake account to bring Agarwal to the fort was devised by Ritesh Hange. The account was deleted after the incident.

The alleged planning also extended to finding the right location.

Investigators said Goyal and Chaudhary conducted a recce around Lonavala, including Tiger Point and other locations, while looking for an isolated spot.

Lohagad Fort was eventually selected, allegedly because a death had occurred there in March last year.

According to police, the accused believed Agarwal's death could consequently be made to look like an accidental fall from the fort.

The charge sheet has thus laid out an alleged conspiracy in which investigators say the accused moved from discussions of an assault to planning a murder, scouting locations and creating a digital trail designed to bring Agarwal to the chosen spot.