Pune Rural Police have arrested a 22-year-old man named Ritesh Hange for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy to murder Pune-based realtor Ketan Agarwal. Agarwal was killed on June 18 when he was pushed off a cliff at the historic Lohagad Fort in the Pune district while on a trekking trip. Hange, who hails from Beed, is identified as a close friend of Chetan Chaudhary, the prime accused and alleged lover of the victim's fiancée, Siya Goyal.
According to investigator statements and court filings, Hange was formally taken into custody following a forensic examination of mobile phone communications. The digital evidence revealed extensive coordination regarding how Agarwal could be eliminated and how physical evidence at the crime scene could be concealed. Hange was produced before the Vadgaon Maval Sessions Court, which remanded him to police custody until September 12 as investigators probe his direct role in the hatching of the plot.
Unraveling the Conspiracy and Digital Evidence
Investigators stated that Hange was fully aware of the initial plans formulated by Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary to first incapacitate Agarwal by breaking his limbs before carrying out his elimination. Police reports indicate that immediately after the fatal incident at Lohagad Fort, Chaudhary contacted Hange to inform him that the plan had been executed. Forensic analysis of recovered mobile devices uncovered incriminating chat logs detailing the plot to push the victim into the gorge and destroy digital traces.
Police officials noted that Hange had been in regular contact with Chaudhary since the final week of May. While investigators established that Chaudhary and Goyal initially attempted to pass off the killing as a tragic accidental fall during a photography session, technical surveillance and forensic scrutiny unraveled the deliberate homicide. Hange was previously questioned during the initial stages of the investigation before sufficient electronic evidence justified his formal arrest under conspiracy charges.
The Sister's Persistence and Uncovered Affair
The breakthrough in the investigation stemmed largely from the persistence of the victim's family, particularly Agarwal's sister, who vehemently questioned the accident narrative during a condolence visit made by Goyal four days after the funeral. Inconsistencies in Goyal's accounts prompted the family to press local law enforcement for a comprehensive re-examination of the circumstances surrounding the trek.
Subsequent technical checks and call data records revealed a staggering volume of communication between Goyal and Chaudhary. Investigators discovered that the pair had been in contact for three years, logging over 2,000 calls totaling 238 hours between January and June, alongside frequent interactions via WhatsApp and FaceTime. Further scrutiny of area CCTV footage captured an unidentified individual wearing a heavy hoodie despite the June summer heat, trailing Agarwal and Goyal's vehicle during their movements toward the fort, which ultimately led police to identify Chaudhary's involvement.
Pre-Wedding Sabotage Claims and Prior Incidents
The murder investigation has also brought to light suspicious prior incidents, including the mysterious disappearance of Agarwal's passport weeks before the scheduled wedding. According to statements given by the victim's father, Vishal Agarwal, the couple was scheduled to fly to Bali, Indonesia, for a pre-wedding photoshoot on June 6, accompanied by family members.
Vishal Agarwal claimed that all necessary travel documents, credit cards, and currency were secured inside a single pouch kept inside the family vehicle. He stated that after a brief stop at a food mall where Goyal reportedly returned to the car under the pretext of retrieving a forgotten mobile phone, Agarwal discovered his passport missing upon arriving at the Mumbai airport, forcing him to cancel the trip. Investigators are examining whether this incident formed part of a broader pattern of sabotage leading up to the fatal trek on June 18.
Judicial Custody and Ongoing Police Interrogation
Following his arrest on Friday night, Ritesh Hange was brought before the Vadgaon Maval Sessions Court by Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill's team. The court granted police custody through September 12 to facilitate detailed interrogations regarding Hange's interactions with the other co-accused.
Authorities are continuing to examine the exact extent of Hange's involvement, specifically focusing on whether he assisted in logistics or helped coordinate the movements of the primary suspects before and after the incident at Lohagad Fort. With three individuals now behind bars, the comprehensive criminal probe remains active as prosecutors build their case surrounding the pre-planned homicide.
