Mumbai, June 29 (IANS) Fresh developments have surfaced in the investigation into the alleged murder of realtor Ketan Agarwal at Pune’s Lohagad Fort, with police uncovering crucial digital evidence pointing towards a pre-planned conspiracy.

According to sources, the 20-year-old prime accused, Siya Goyal, made a phone call to her alleged lover and co-accused, Chetan Chaudhary, just 34 minutes before Agarwal was allegedly pushed off a cliff. Investigators believe the conversation could have been the final coordination before the crime was executed.

The revelation follows a detailed forensic examination of the mobile phones seized from both accused. Police sources said the final phone call has emerged as one of the strongest pieces of digital evidence collected so far and is being closely examined by the Pune Rural Police’s technical surveillance team.

According to NDTV, investigators suspect that during the conversation, Goyal informed Chaudhary of her exact location at a viewpoint inside Lohagad Fort and confirmed that no other visitors were present nearby, allowing the alleged plan to proceed without interruption.

The probe has also revealed that the accused allegedly deleted months of WhatsApp messages, Instagram chats, and voice notes in an attempt to erase any evidence linking them to the murder plot. Cyber experts are now working to retrieve the deleted data through forensic tools.

Police are reportedly comparing the recovered digital records with location history, call detail records (CDRs), and internet IP logs to build a comprehensive timeline. The evidence is expected to play a significant role in supporting charges of premeditated murder under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the investigation, Agarwal was allegedly killed on June 18 after Goyal, who was engaged to marry him in November, reportedly decided she no longer wanted to continue with the relationship. Chaudhary has also been named as a co-accused in the case.

During questioning, Goyal’s brother told investigators that she first met Chaudhary at one of his cricket matches. The two later reconnected through a mutual friend and gradually developed a close relationship.

Police sources further claim that the alleged murder conspiracy was finalised by the end of May. Investigators also suspect that an earlier attempt to kill Agarwal was made on June 14, when Goyal allegedly tried to push him off the same cliff. However, he reportedly survived after grabbing onto a bush. To explain the incident, Goyal allegedly claimed that she had accidentally pushed him while reacting to a snake.

Four days later, investigators allege, the accused made a second attempt. This time, Chaudhary allegedly followed the couple to Lohagad Fort to ensure that Agarwal would not escape.

According to sources, Chetan Chaudhary, had asked Siya to wait for at least three years for them to get married as he wanted to settle in his career. But Siya’s wedding to Ketan had already been arranged and scheduled for November. The two then pushed Ketan into a valley at the Lohagad Fort near Maharashtra’s Pune as a part of the conspiracy that let them “buy time”, sources said.

While Siya’s marriage might not have been discussed for the next few years due to the family’s mourning, and she would have had the opportunity to live independently, Chetan would have focused on his career.

The investigation also revealed that Siya and Chetan had begun plotting Ketan’s murder as early as February this year.

–IANS

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