Fiancee, lover arrested for pushing Pune trekker into gorge, say police
Pune police arrested a woman and her lover for allegedly pushing her fiance into a gorge at Lohagad Fort, initially staged as an accident. Investigations revealed a murder conspiracy driven by a relationship dispute. Further probe is underway
Pune: In a major twist in the death of real estate firm director Ketan Vishal Agrawal, police on Tuesday arrested his fiancee and her lover for allegedly pushing him into a deep gorge off Lohagad Fort in Pune and passing it off as an accident, officials said.
While the incident, which occurred on June 18, was initially believed to be a case of an accidental fall at the historic Lohagad Fort, the investigation later pointed to a murder conspiracy, they said.
Agrawal (26), a resident of Gahunje in Pune district and director of a family-run real estate business, was found dead in a gorge near the fort on June 18.
The police had then said Agrawal fell nearly 400 feet into the gorge while taking photographs during a trek with his fiancee and friends amid strong winds at the fort.
An accidental death report was registered after his fiancee, Siya Goyal, told the Lonavala rural police that Agrawal had slipped and fallen while the couple was on an outing at the hill fort.
Agrawal was scheduled to marry Goyal later this year. It was learnt that the families had made elaborate wedding preparations, including booking a palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan, for the ceremony.
Superintendent of Police, Pune rural, Sandip Singh Gill, said the circumstances surrounding the death appeared suspicious, which prompted police to investigate the case thoroughly.
“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,” he said.
The investigation showed that Goyal was unwilling to marry Agrawal and considered him an obstacle to her relationship with Chaudhary, the official said.
The two allegedly conspired to eliminate Agrawal. As part of the plan, Goyal took him to Lohagad Fort under the pretext of an outing, while Chaudhary was called to the spot later. The duo then allegedly pushed Agrawal off the fort, leading to his death, police said.
Based on suspicion, the local crime branch took Chaudhary into custody. During interrogation, it emerged that since Agrawal was becoming an obstacle in Chaudhary’s relationship with Goyal, both of them allegedly plotted to eliminate him.
Goyal was also arrested based on Chaudhary’s interrogation, police said.
“Following a complaint lodged by Ketan’s father, Vishal Agrawal, the Lonavala rural police registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Tuesday,” Gill said.
Further investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events, collect forensic evidence and determine if other persons were involved in the alleged conspiracy, police officials said.
Lohagad Fort is linked to the history of Maratha empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is one of the 12 forts in Maharashtra listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
