Ketan Agarwal Murder Case: From Lohagad Fort Death to a 5,053-Page Charge sheet — What Happened, What Police Found and What Happens Next?
Pune, Maharashtra: What initially appeared to be a tragic trekking accident at Maharashtra's historic Lohagad Fort has developed into a major murder investigation involving allegations of a pre-planned conspiracy, a romantic relationship, digital evidence, deleted communications, an alleged earlier attempt, a third accused and now a massive 5,053-page chargesheet.
Ketan Vishal Agarwal, a young businessman from Pune, died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort on June 18, 2026. Police initially treated the incident as an accidental fall. However, subsequent investigation led Pune Rural Police to allege that Ketan was deliberately pushed from the fort as part of a conspiracy.
The latest development came on September 19, 2026, when Pune Rural Police filed a 5,053-page chargesheet before the Vadgaon Maval court. The chargesheet reportedly contains witness statements, WhatsApp and other digital communications, photographs, mobile-phone data, call-detail records, CCTV-related material and technical analysis.
The June 18 Incident: What Initially Happened?
Ketan Agarwal had gone to Lohagad Fort on June 18 with his fiancée Siya Goyal and two other people.
The initial account was that Ketan had accidentally fallen from a cliff while taking photographs. He reportedly fell around 400 feet into a gorge, and a rescue operation was conducted by Lonavala Rural Police and the Shivdurg Mitra Emergency Rescue Team.
At that stage, the incident was treated as an accidental death.
However, investigators subsequently began questioning whether the fall was actually accidental. According to police, information from relatives and friends, witness accounts, CCTV footage and technical evidence raised suspicions.
The investigation then shifted from an accidental-death inquiry to a murder investigation.
Who Are the Main Accused?
According to the police investigation and the chargesheet, three people have been named as accused:
Siya Goyal — Ketan's fiancée.
Chetan Chaudhary — whom police allege was in a relationship with Siya.
Ritesh Hange — described by police as Chetan's friend and an alleged participant in the conspiracy.
Siya and Chetan were arrested on June 23. Ritesh Hange was arrested later, on September 5, making him the third accused arrested in the case. Police alleged that Hange had knowledge of earlier plans to harm Ketan and participated in planning.
These are allegations contained in the investigation; the accused remain entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until guilt is established by a court.
The Alleged Motive: A Relationship and a Broken Engagement?
Police have alleged that Ketan and Siya were engaged, but that Siya was also in a relationship with Chetan.
Ketan and Siya reportedly became engaged in February, with the wedding planned for later in 2026.
According to the investigation, police believe Ketan had become an obstacle to the relationship between Siya and Chetan and that this was one of the factors behind the alleged conspiracy.
The prosecution's theory therefore centres on an alleged relationship triangle. However, the motive remains part of the prosecution's case and must ultimately be established through evidence in court.
The June 14 Incident: Was There an Earlier Attempt?
One of the most significant allegations to emerge during the investigation concerns an earlier visit to Lohagad.
According to police and reports based on the investigation, Ketan had visited Lohagad with Siya on June 14, four days before his death.
Police have alleged that an attempt was made during that visit to push Ketan from a cliff. According to reports, he survived after apparently managing to hold onto a bush/tree or other support.
Ketan's family subsequently raised questions about the circumstances of that visit.
The alleged June 14 incident is important because investigators have sought to use it to establish that the June 18 incident was not spontaneous but was allegedly preceded by planning.
However, whether the June 14 episode constituted an attempted murder is ultimately a matter for the evidence and the court.
The Passport Episode
Another part of the investigation concerns Ketan's passport.
Investigators alleged that Siya had taken or damaged Ketan's passport before a planned trip to Bali for a pre-wedding photoshoot.
According to the prosecution version reported during an earlier court hearing, police alleged that the passport was torn and disposed of near a food mall in the Khopoli area.
The alleged passport episode has been examined by investigators as part of the broader sequence of events preceding Ketan's death.
It remains evidence relied upon by investigators rather than a fact finally determined by a court.
The CCTV Clue That Changed the Investigation
One of the important developments was reportedly CCTV footage near the Lohagad ticket counter.
Investigators said the footage showed a man wearing a hoodie following Ketan and Siya.
Police later identified the man as Chetan Chaudhary.
Investigators also examined Chetan's phone activity on June 18. Police alleged that his own phone's internet connection remained switched off for several hours and that the phone had been left at his workplace.
According to the investigation, Chetan allegedly travelled towards Lohagad using another phone and attempted to avoid a straightforward digital-location trail.
Call records and other technical evidence were subsequently examined by investigators.
Thousands of Calls and Digital Evidence
Digital evidence has become one of the central components of the investigation.
Police reportedly examined the communications between Siya and Chetan and found extensive contact between them.
Investigators have examined:
Call-detail records
Mobile-phone location information
WhatsApp communications
Instagram communications
Snapchat data
Deleted digital material
CCTV footage
Photographs
Internet searches
Technical and forensic reports
Police have also alleged that some communications were deleted following the incident.
According to the latest chargesheet reporting, investigators were able to recover or examine digital material that formed part of the evidence submitted to court.
The Alleged Murder Plan
The chargesheet reportedly contains a detailed reconstruction of the alleged conspiracy.
According to police, the accused initially considered causing serious injuries to Ketan and later moved towards a plan to kill him.
Investigators have alleged that people outside Maharashtra were also contacted in connection with an earlier plan to carry out the attack.
A Bengaluru-based friend of Chetan was reportedly approached in connection with the alleged contract-killing plan. Police have subsequently treated that person as a witness rather than an accused, according to the latest reporting.
The investigation therefore suggests that police believe there were multiple stages to the alleged conspiracy.
The Fake Instagram Account Theory
One of the most striking allegations in the chargesheet concerns a fake Instagram account.
According to a report based on the chargesheet, an account using the name "Mahi" was allegedly created and used to persuade Ketan to visit Lohagad.
Police allege that a photograph of a known girl was used for the account and that a message was sent to Ketan, purportedly from a friend of Siya, suggesting a surprise birthday celebration.
Investigators allege that the account was subsequently deleted.
The prosecution is expected to rely on digital records and forensic analysis to establish who operated the account and how it was allegedly used.
Alleged Rehearsal of the Crime
Police have also alleged that the murder was not planned only on the day of the incident.
Investigators told the court that the accused allegedly visited locations beforehand and rehearsed aspects of the proposed crime.
Earlier investigation reports stated that police were reconstructing the sequence of events and examining locations where such alleged rehearsals may have occurred.
The prosecution also alleged that a particular movement or sitting position by Siya during the trek was used as a signal to Chetan.
These allegations are now part of the material presented by investigators and will have to be tested during court proceedings.
Ritesh Hange: The Third Arrest
The case took another turn in September when Pune Rural Police arrested 22-year-old Ritesh Hange, a friend of Chetan.
Police alleged that Hange knew about the earlier plan to seriously injure Ketan and subsequently helped with the murder conspiracy.
Investigators further alleged that after the June 18 incident, Chetan contacted Hange and informed him that the plan had been executed.
Hange's arrest therefore expanded the investigation beyond the original two accused.
The 5,053-Page Chargesheet
The biggest development as of September 19, 2026 is the filing of the chargesheet.
Pune Rural Police submitted a 5,053-page chargesheet before the Vadgaon Maval court.
The document reportedly contains:
1. Witness statementsPolice have recorded statements from approximately 80–85 witnesses.
2. Eyewitness materialThe chargesheet reportedly contains statements from people whom police say witnessed the incident or crucial parts of it. One report says three witnesses allegedly saw the crime being committed.
3. Digital evidenceMobile-phone data, messages, social-media material and other electronic evidence have reportedly been included.
4. Call-detail recordsInvestigators examined communications between the accused.
5. CCTV evidenceCCTV footage has reportedly been used to reconstruct movements around Lohagad.
6. Photographs and documentary evidenceThe chargesheet reportedly contains photographs and other documentary material.
7. Technical and forensic reportsTechnical analysis certificates are also reportedly part of the filing.
A New Element: Online Searches
Another development highlighted in the chargesheet is alleged internet research.
Police reportedly found searches relating to a similar incident at Lohagad in which a woman died.
Investigators also reportedly found searches connected to the Sonam Raghuvanshi murder case, which had received substantial national attention.
According to police allegations, the accused researched incidents and methods relating to murder and avoiding detection.
The evidentiary significance of those searches will ultimately depend on how the prosecution establishes their authorship, timing, context and connection to the alleged offence.
What Happened to the Case After the Arrests?
Following the arrests of Siya and Chetan, police sought custodial interrogation to investigate digital evidence, reconstruct the crime scene and examine the alleged conspiracy.
The prosecution told the court that important digital information had been deleted and needed to be recovered.
Police also conducted a recreation of the crime scene and investigated the accused's movements before and after June 18.
The defence, meanwhile, challenged aspects of the arrest and opposed further police custody, arguing that the accused had cooperated with the investigation and questioning the necessity of continued custody.
The court subsequently dealt with the competing submissions while allowing the investigation to proceed.
What Happens After the Chargesheet?
The filing of the chargesheet does not mean that the accused have been found guilty.
The case now moves into the judicial process.
Broadly, the proceedings can involve:
1. Court taking cognisance
The court will examine the chargesheet and accompanying material to determine the next procedural steps.
2. Supply of prosecution documents
The accused are entitled to receive the relevant prosecution documents as required by law.
3. Consideration of charges
The court will consider the material placed by the prosecution and the defence before deciding whether charges should be framed.
4. Trial
If charges are framed, the prosecution will present its evidence.
Witnesses may be examined and cross-examined.
5. Forensic and digital evidence
Electronic evidence, CCTV footage, call records, forensic reports and other technical material may become important during trial.
6. Defence evidence
The accused will have the opportunity to defend themselves in accordance with law.
7. Final arguments
After evidence is completed, both sides will present their legal arguments.
8. Judgment
The court will then determine whether the prosecution has proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Therefore, the chargesheet is an important investigative milestone, but it is not the final determination of guilt.
Timeline of the Ketan Agarwal Case
February 2026:Ketan Agarwal and Siya Goyal were reportedly engaged.
May 2026:Police allege that planning concerning Ketan's murder began around this period.
May 31:According to the latest investigation reporting, Siya allegedly conducted a reconnaissance visit to Lohagad.
June 6:Police investigated the alleged passport incident connected to the planned Bali trip.
June 14:Police allege that an earlier attempt was made to push Ketan at Lohagad.
June 17:Investigators allege that Siya and Chetan met and finalised aspects of the plan.
June 18:Ketan visited Lohagad Fort and fell into the gorge. Police later alleged that he was pushed.
June 23:Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary were arrested.
Late June–July:Police investigated digital evidence, CCTV footage, alleged rehearsals, the passport episode and mobile-phone records.
July 2026:Police said eyewitness statements and other evidence were being used to reconstruct the sequence of events.
September 5:Ritesh Hange was arrested as the third accused in the alleged conspiracy.
September 19:Pune Rural Police filed the 5,053-page chargesheet before the Vadgaon Maval court.
The Central Questions Still Before the Court
Despite the extensive chargesheet, several questions will ultimately have to be answered through the judicial process:
Was Ketan's death an accident or a deliberate killing?
What exactly happened at Lohagad on June 18?
Was there an earlier attempt on June 14?
When did the alleged conspiracy actually begin?
What was the precise role of each accused?
Was the fake Instagram account actually used as part of the alleged plan?
What was the purpose of the alleged passport incident?
What do the deleted chats and recovered digital records establish?
What is the evidentiary value of the alleged online searches?
What role, if any, did Ritesh Hange play?
What evidence connects the accused to the alleged act at Lohagad?
Can the prosecution prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt?
These questions will be determined through the court proceedings and evidence rather than through the chargesheet alone.
Conclusion
The Ketan Agarwal case has undergone a dramatic transformation since June 18, 2026.
What began as a reported fatal fall at Lohagad Fort developed into a murder investigation after police identified what they described as inconsistencies and suspicious circumstances. The investigation then expanded to alleged prior attempts, a possible relationship motive, extensive digital communications, CCTV footage, an alleged fake Instagram account, a passport episode, an alleged contract-killing attempt and the arrest of a third accused.
The latest and most substantial development is the filing of the 5,053-page chargesheet, containing material gathered from approximately 80–85 witnesses along with digital, documentary and technical evidence.
The case has now entered a crucial judicial phase. The prosecution will have to establish its allegations through admissible evidence, while the accused will have the opportunity to challenge that evidence and present their defence.
Ultimately, the court—not the police investigation or media reports—will determine whether the allegations against the accused are proved in accordance with law.
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