Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Pune Rural Police have arrested a third accused in the murder of businessman Ketan Agrawal, who was allegedly killed by his fiance and her lover in June. Ritesh Hinge, a classmate of prime accused Chetan Choudhary, allegedly had prior knowledge of the killing, police said.
Hinge has been remanded in police custody until September 12 and will be named as a co-accused in the case.
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According to police sources, Choudhary and his girlfriend, Siya Goyal, allegedly discussed the plan to kill Agrawal and its execution with Hinge before the murder at Lohagad Fort on June 18.
The couple had also repeatedly asked Hinge to accompany them to Lohagad on the day of the murder, but he declined, sources said.
Police suspect that Hinge knew about the alleged conspiracy before the killing. Investigators also found that Choudhary met him soon after Agrawal’s death, while Goyal remained in contact with him.
Hinge was traced using information recovered from Choudhary’s phone, according to sources.
Originally from Beed district, Hinge works at a private company in Pune’s Balewadi area. He had allegedly been in contact with Choudhary since the last week of May.
Police are questioning Hinge to determine the extent of his knowledge and whether he played any role in planning or facilitating the crime.
THE KETAN AGRAWAL MURDER CASE
Agrawal, a Pune businessman, died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort on June 18 while trekking with his fianc, Goyal.
The death was initially treated as an accident, with Goyal claiming that Agrawal slipped while they were taking photographs near the edge of the fort.
The investigation changed course after Agrawal’s sister questioned Goyal about the incident and found alleged inconsistencies in her account.
The family subsequently approached the police, prompting a closer examination of the circumstances surrounding his death. Police later arrested Goyal and Choudhary on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.
CCTV footage from near the fort’s ticket counter showed Choudhary, wearing a hoodie, following Agrawal and Goyal on the day of the incident.
Investigators also found that Choudhary had allegedly left his phone at his workplace and carried an employee’s device instead, which police suspect was an attempt to conceal his movements.
The CCTV footage became a crucial lead in turning the accidental-death inquiry into a murder investigation.
Police allege that Goyal and Choudhary conspired to push Agrawal into the gorge and pass off his death as an accident.
Investigators also suspect that the fatal incident followed an unsuccessful attempt on June 14, when the accused allegedly tried to frighten Agrawal towards the edge of the gorge by staging a snake scare.
The case is based largely on circumstantial evidence, including CCTV footage, phone records, location data and the alleged inconsistencies in the accounts given after Agrawal’s death.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
