Lohagad Fort Murder Case: Police to Conduct Gait Analysis on Accused Chetan Chaudhary  

Pune (IANS): Pune Rural Police will conduct a “gait analysis” of the second accused, Chetan Chaudhary, on Tuesday to advance the investigation into the Ketan Agarwal murder case.

Siya Goyal and Chetan Babulal Chaudhary stand accused of murdering Goyal’s fiancé, 26-year-old real estate businessman Ketan Agarwal, at Lohagad Fort on June 18. Investigators will use the gait analysis—a specialized study of a person’s walking pattern—to determine exactly how and where Chetan Chaudhary moved on the day of the crime.

Alongside the analysis, detectives will take Chaudhary back to the fort to reconstruct the crime scene and intend to recover the exact trousers he wore during the incident. Officers currently hold Chaudhary at the Lonavala Rural Police Station ahead of the day’s legal proceedings.

Police Win 5-Day Custody Extension

The Vadgaon Maval court on Monday granted Pune Rural Police five additional days of custody for both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary after their initial remand expired.

Investigators convinced the court that several crucial aspects of the probe remain incomplete. Police outlined their immediate priorities for the extended custody:

• Recreating the crime scene with both accused present.
• Tracing Chaudhary’s precise movements immediately following the murder.
• Examining phone logs and conversations exchanged after the incident.
• Recovering evidence linked to the destruction of the victim’s passport.

The Burnt Passport and Suspicious Deviations

According to investigators, the plot unfolded during a family trip to Mumbai airport for a planned pre-wedding holiday to Bali.

The trip fell through when Ketan discovered his passport was missing at the airport. Police now believe Siya deliberately stole, tore, and burnt the passport during a stop at a food mall to prevent the couple from traveling together. The driver of their vehicle told police that Siya returned to the parked car alone during the journey, allegedly taking belongings from inside.

From “Accidental Fall” to Premeditated Murder

Authorities initially treated Ketan’s death as an accidental fall into a 400-foot gorge. However, forensic tracking and questioning revealed that the duo allegedly pushed him off the cliff. Police state that Siya and Chetan were in a relationship and viewed Ketan as an obstacle.

The Digital Trail: Investigators uncovered that the accused exchanged more than 2,000 phone calls over six months, totalling nearly 238 hours of conversation. Police suspect these calls formed the blueprint of the murder conspiracy.

On June 28, police temporarily closed Lohagad Fort to the public to recreate the sequence of events using a dummy.

The investigation has also exposed a chilling prior attempt on Ketan’s life. Police claim that during an earlier visit to Lohagad Fort, Siya tried to push Ketan off a cliff. He survived by grabbing onto a bush. At the time, Siya allegedly covered her tracks by claiming she was merely trying to yank him away from a snake.