PUNE: Pune Rural Police say the alleged conspiracy behind real estate businessman Ketan Agarwal’s death unfolded over months of secret communication, multiple meetings and repeated attempts to lure him to Lohagad Fort, a UNESCO world heritage site.Investigators claim Agarwal’s fiancée Siya Goyal and her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary exchanged 2,004 calls and spent around 238 hours speaking over six months before the 26-year-old was allegedly pushed into a gorge on June 18.Police have arrested Goyal (20) and Chaudhary (22) in connection with the case.Also read: Siya Goyal’s 2nd attempt: Tore Ketan Agarwal’s passport, dumped it in women’s washroom before Lohagad murder bidA ‘dream wedding’ that ended in tragedyAgarwal, director and chief marketing officer of Success Group, was engaged to Goyal in February. The couple was preparing for a grand wedding in Udaipur in November, with a palace reportedly booked for the ceremony.But investigators allege Goyal and Chaudhary saw Agarwal as a hurdle in their relationship and decided to eliminate him.Police say the murder plot was not sudden but developed over time.Cafe meeting before the fatal tripAccording to investigators, on June 18 — the day Agarwal died — Goyal and Chaudhary allegedly met at a cafe before heading to Lohagad Fort.Police claim the two discussed the plan and identified a spot from where Agarwal could be pushed into the valley.A police officer said the duo allegedly worked out the details of the execution before reaching the fort.CCTV trail leads police to ChaudharyThe investigation took a turn after CCTV footage showed Chaudhary following Goyal and Agarwal at Lohagad Fort.Police said they found it unusual that Chaudhary was wearing a hoodie despite temperatures being around 33 degrees Celsius.Inspector Dinesh Tayade of Lonavla Rural Police said CCTV also showed Goyal signalling to Chaudhary on the day Agarwal died.“Chaudhary spent less than 10 minutes at the top of the fort and completed the ascent and descent in under 50 minutes,” Tayade said.A security guard reportedly recalled Chaudhary saying he had come to the fort for exercise when questioned about his presence.Police suspect phone swap to avoid trackingInvestigators claim Chaudhary tried to avoid detection by leaving his own cellphone at his Market Yard shop and carrying an employee’s phone instead.The employee is now being questioned, police said.Earlier attempts allegedly failedPolice say Goyal had repeatedly insisted that Agarwal visit Lohagad Fort before the fatal incident.According to investigators, she took him there on May 31 and again tried to convince him to go on June 4, but his mother stopped him.On June 14, police allege Goyal attempted to push Agarwal off the cliff. However, he managed to grab a bush and survived.When Agarwal questioned her, she allegedly raised an alarm about a snake and tried to make it appear that she had saved him.Passport incident before murderInvestigators also linked another alleged incident to the case — the cancellation of a planned Bali pre-wedding photoshoot.Police claim Goyal took Agarwal’s passport from his car at a food mall in Khalapur on June 6 and dumped it in a women’s washroom.The move allegedly prevented the couple from travelling.Defence says Chaudhary has been framedChaudhary’s lawyer Ram Shahane said his client was being implicated without a clear role being mentioned in the FIR.“The FIR does not specifically describe his role in the alleged offence. It merely states that he is the boyfriend of the main accused,” he said.Chaudhary’s father, Babulal Chaudhary, also claimed his son was innocent and alleged that Goyal was trying to frame him.‘Tore passport’Police said Goyal had earlier sabotaged a planned pre-wedding trip to Bali on June 6 by allegedly tearing up Agarwal’s passport and throwing it away in a restroom near the Khalapur toll plaza.Probe underwayPolice said the probe is based on call records, CCTV footage and digital evidence.Goyal and Chaudhary have been sent to police custody as investigators continue to examine the alleged conspiracy behind Agarwal’s death.
