Ketan Agarwal murder: Accused's friend knew of plan, may hold key to Lohagad mystery

Police had earlier questioned Ritesh Hange during the investigation, and he had cooperated with them. However, further investigation and technical evidence allegedly established his connection to the conspiracy, leading to his arrest.Ketan Agarwal murder: Arrest of accused's friend opens new line of probe (File Photo: ITG)The arrest of Ritesh Hange, a close friend of prime accused Chetan Chaudhary, has opened a fresh line of investigation into the alleged conspiracy behind Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal's murder, with police saying Hange was actively involved in planning the killing even though his presence at the crime scene is yet to be established.Hange, 23, was arrested on September 4 and is the third accused to be arrested in the case. He was produced before a court and remanded in police custody until September 12.Agarwal was allegedly pushed to his death from Lohagad Fort in Pune district on June 18 by his fiancee Siya Goyal and Chaudhary, following which the two were arrested.Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said the investigation, based on technical evidence and data retrieved during the probe, had revealed incriminating material against Hange. HANGE WAS AWARE OF MURDER PLANAccording to police, Hange was not merely aware of the alleged murder plan but actively participated in discussions surrounding the conspiracy.Investigators found that Chaudhary had been in regular communication with Hange and had discussed the planning of the murder with him. Chaudhary allegedly kept Hange informed about developments even after Agarwal was killed. "The main accused, Siya and Chetan, had planned the murder. Chetan had been informing Ritesh about the plan from the beginning. During the investigation, we found evidence against him based on statements and technical evidence, which led to his arrest," Gill said.Police had earlier called Hange for questioning, during which he cooperated with the investigation. His name subsequently surfaced during the probe into Chaudhary's role, and further examination of technical evidence allegedly established his connection with the conspiracy.Hange and Chaudhary had studied together in college, while Hange also knew Goyal, according to police.CONTRACT KILLING PLAN LATER CHANGEDInvestigators have found that a contract killing was initially discussed as part of the conspiracy to eliminate Agarwal. Hange was allegedly aware of these discussions.However, police said Chaudhary and Goyal later decided to execute the plan themselves rather than hire an outsider.The accused had also allegedly discussed causing Agarwal a serious accident or disabling one of his body parts. Police suspect the intention was to ensure that Agarwal suffered injuries severe enough for his proposed marriage to Goyal to be called off.The investigation is now examining how this plan eventually culminated in Agarwal's death at Lohagad.WAS HANGE AT LOHAGAD? POLICE PROBE ONWhile police have said Hange's alleged involvement in the conspiracy has emerged from the investigation, they are yet to establish whether he was physically present at Lohagad when Agarwal was killed.Investigators are examining whether Hange had visited the fort before the incident and whether he was present at the location on June 18. Statements of several people who were at Lohagad around the time of the incident have also been recorded.Police said that after the murder, Chaudhary allegedly met Hange and narrated the incident to him. Investigators are now trying to establish the precise sequence of their communications before and after the killing.DELETED CHATS, FINANCIAL TRAIL UNDER SCANNERPolice have recovered deleted WhatsApp chats during the investigation, while forensic examination of digital evidence is underway.Investigators are also probing whether there were any financial transactions between Chaudhary and Hange. Gill said this aspect of the case is yet to be investigated.At present, police have not found the involvement of any other person in the conspiracy. However, investigators are continuing to examine digital and technical evidence, as well as Hange's possible movements around Lohagad, to determine whether anyone else was involved and what exactly Hange's role was in the alleged murder plot.- EndsWith PTI inputsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Sep 7, 2026 22:02 IST