Pune murder case: Siya allegedly hired contract killer before pushing Ketan off Lohagad fort, probe reveals
Pune murder case: The investigation into the murder of Ketan Agarwal has uncovered fresh details, with the Pune Police claiming that the two accused had allegedly attempted to hire a contract killer before carrying out the crime themselves.
According to investigators, Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary reportedly contacted a man to kill Ketan Agrawal. However, after learning about the victim and the circumstances, the man allegedly refused to take up the assignment.
The police said the meeting took place at a hotel in Pune, where the accused reportedly met the contract killer. CCTV footage from the hotel has been recovered and will form part of the investigation. The man is expected to be presented as a witness during the court proceedings.
Investigators have also found that the accused allegedly watched nearly two hours of Japanese videos before their arrest. According to the police, the videos explained how to remain calm during police questioning, control facial expressions and respond to investigators during interrogation. The links to these videos were reportedly recovered from the web browsing history of the accused.
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The police alleged that on June 18, Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary pushed Ketan Agrawal into a nearly 400-foot-deep gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune, resulting in his death. Both accused are currently in judicial custody at Yerawada Central Jail while the investigation continues.
Ketan Agrawal's father, Vishal Agrawal, has demanded that authorities also investigate the family that introduced Siya to his son. Speaking to reporters, he said his family trusted the recommendation of close acquaintances while finalising the marriage proposal. He alleged that those who vouched for Siya should also be questioned as part of the investigation.
According to the police investigation:
On May 31, Siya allegedly came up with the plan after visiting Lohagad Fort with Ketan.
On June 5, she reportedly insisted on revisiting the fort, but the trip did not happen.
On June 14, the police claim she made an initial attempt to push Ketan from the fort, but he survived after grabbing hold of a tree. She allegedly told him she had pushed him to save him from a snake.
On June 18, the police allege Siya returned to the fort with Ketan under the pretext of a pre-wedding photoshoot, where Chetan Chaudhary was also present. Investigators claim the two then pushed Ketan into the gorge from behind.
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- With inputs from agencies
