Hoodie in 33 degrees, phone left at workplace: How CCTV clue led cops to Pune trekker's killers
PTC News Desk: What was first believed to be a tragic trekking accident at Pune's Lohagad Fort later turned into a murder investigation after police noticed a suspicious detail — a man wearing a hoodie on a hot June day when the temperature was around 33°C.
CCTV footage from a camera near the fort's ticket counter showed the man, identified as Chetan Chaudhary, following 26-year-old businessman Ketan Agarwal and his 20-year-old fiancée Siya Goyal on June 18.
According to police, Chetan did not arrive with Siya's group. Investigators believe he deliberately left his own phone at his shop to avoid being tracked and carried an employee's phone instead. His mobile internet was also switched off from 7 am until 5:40 pm, raising further suspicion.
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 scrutinising the footage closely, investigators noticed a man 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.
During the investigation, police contacted people who had called Chetan's number that day. The callers reportedly told police that Chetan himself did not answer the calls; his shop employees spoke to them instead.
Investigators allege that when Siya's group reached a dangerous spot near a deep gorge at the fort, Chetan approached them from behind.
Ketan later fell about 400 feet into the gorge and died.
After the incident, Siya called Lonavala Rural Police and reported that her fiancé had accidentally slipped while taking photographs near the valley. She blamed strong winds and described the death as an accident.
Based on her statement, police initially registered an accidental death case, which later turned out to be murder investigation.
- With inputs from agencies
