Lohagad death case: Witness claims he saw Chetan Chaudhary push Ketan Agarwal off cliff
PTC Web Desk: A witness in the investigation into the death of Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal has given police a statement that could be important to the case. The witness has reportedly claimed that he saw accused Chetan Chaudhary push 26-year-old Agarwal off a cliff at Lohagad Fort.
According to police sources, the witness also said he was later threatened by Chaudhary and warned that he could meet the same fate if he spoke about what he had seen.
The witness approached the police on June 23, five days after the incident, and recorded his statement.
Witness describes what he saw
The man had visited Lohagad with his friend's family. While climbing towards the fort, he reportedly saw Ketan Agarwal and his fiancee Siya Goyal walking together, with Chaudhary following them.
The witness reportedly remembered Chaudhary because he was wearing a hoodie despite the hot weather. He had even asked Chaudhary why he was wearing it.
After reaching the fort, Chaudhary reportedly sat near a temple before later following Agarwal and Goyal.
The witness told the police that he briefly moved away from the area after suffering stomach cramps. When he returned, he allegedly saw Goyal point towards Chaudhary before sitting down and kicking Agarwal on the leg.
The witness then allegedly saw Chaudhary approach Agarwal from behind and push him towards the cliff.
He later claimed that he confronted Chaudhary about the incident. According to his statement, Chaudhary became angry and threatened to throw him from the fort as well if he revealed what he had witnessed.
The witness did not immediately tell his friend about the incident. After returning home, he reportedly developed a fever and body ache. He eventually contacted the police after seeing more reports about the case in the media.
Hoodie helps another witness identify Chaudhary
Another witness has also reportedly told investigators about an encounter with Chaudhary during the Lohagad trek.
According to police sources, the witness had asked Chaudhary why he was wearing a hoodie in the summer. Chaudhary allegedly apologised before continuing on his way.
The police are reportedly considering the hoodie detail significant as both witnesses have mentioned it in their statements.
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Police examine 12 TB of digital evidence
Apart from witness accounts, investigators have examined a large amount of digital evidence in the case.
The police have reportedly analysed nearly 12 TB of data collected from six mobile phones, nine pen drives, backups, call records and social media accounts.
Investigators are also examining deleted chats and other information recovered through forensic analysis. It is learnt that some attempts were allegedly made to erase digital evidence, although investigators were able to recover parts of the deleted data.
Searches related to deleting information from an iPhone, clearing chat records and preventing deleted data from being recovered are also reportedly being examined.
5,053-page chargesheet filed
Earlier this month, Pune Rural Police filed a 5,053-page chargesheet in the case.
Agarwal was initially believed to have died after falling from Lohagad Fort. The police later alleged that his death was the result of a planned conspiracy involving Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, who was allegedly in a relationship with her.
Another accused, Ritesh Hange, has also been arrested. The police have described him as Chaudhary's friend.
So far, three witnesses have reportedly come forward in the case.
- With inputs from agencies
