Pune industrialist Ketan Agarwal’s fiancée Siya Goyal sat down at a viewpoint inside Lohagad Fort not just to signal her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary to push him off a cliff, but also to keep herself out of Agarwal’s reach during the fall, police told PTI.
Goyal, 20, and Chaudhary, 22, have been arrested for allegedly conspiring to kill 25-year-old Agarwal and pushing him off Lohagad fort in Pune district on June 18.
The Signal And The Safety Plan
An official reportedly said that as per the plan, Goyal was to signal Chaudhary by sitting down, either to drink water or to tie her shoelaces, after which he was to push an unsuspecting Agarwal off the cliff.
“The signal was chosen deliberately so that Goyal would not be within the victim’s reach during the fatal push. They feared that if Chetan pushed Ketan and the latter tried to grab Siya while falling, she too could fall into the gorge. The plan was made keeping her safety in mind,” the official said.
The Secret Call
NDTV reported that Goyal had a “secret call” with Chaudhary just 34 minutes before the murder, citing call detail records that police are treating as the final go-ahead for the plot.
Police believe Goyal used the call to share her exact location and confirm there were no other tourists nearby.
ALSO READ: ‘Killing Ketan Was Easier Than Telling Family Didn’t Want To Marry’: Siya Goyal To Investigators
Covering Tracks
Chaudhary travelled roughly 90 km from Pune to the fort on a scooter instead of a car, fearing detection at toll plazas, police said. He also changed his appearance at the site, climbing in a hoodie before switching to a black T-shirt and putting the hoodie back on while leaving, to avoid drawing attention.
The pair deleted chats and voice notes spanning three months after the murder, and that police cyber teams are now attempting to recover this data along with location logs and IP addresses to build a case of premeditated murder.
ALSO READ: Offshore Airport Near Mumbai To Become Reality Soon? CM Fadnavis Orders Detailed Study
Reconstruction And Earlier Attempt
Police took Goyal to the fort on Sunday to reconstruct the crime using a dummy.
Investigators said the murder plan was finalized by late May, with a first attempt on June 14 failing after Agarwal grabbed a bush and survived, prompting Goyal to claim a snake had caused her to push him accidentally.
Essential Business Intelligence,
Sharp Market Insights,
Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
