Pune (Gurpreet Singh) — Investigators probing the high-profile death of real estate developer Ketan Agarwal at Lohagad Fort have apprehended a third suspect, identified as 22-year-old Ritesh Hange. The arrest comes as Pune Rural Police broaden their net around the fatal incident that occurred on June 18, when Agarwal was fatally pushed from a steep cliff edge at the historic fort. Hange, who is a close acquaintance of prime accused Chetan Chaudhary, now faces formal charges of criminal conspiracy alongside Chaudhary and the victim’s 20-year-old fiancée, Siya Goyal.
Detectives revealed that the motive stemmed from a romantic relationship between Goyal and Chaudhary, who allegedly viewed Agarwal as a barrier to their partnership despite Goyal having formally engaged the realtor earlier this year in February. Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill stated that extensive questioning brought Hange’s direct involvement in the preliminary stages of the conspiracy to light, demonstrating that the plotting had been underway well before the couple visited the fort.
According to senior police officials, Hange was privy to earlier schemes where the accused contemplated assaulting Agarwal to fracture his limbs before ultimately settling on a lethal plot. Minutes after Chaudhary and Goyal allegedly pushed the realtor over the ridge, Chaudhary placed a call to Hange to confirm that the act had been completed. With three suspects now in custody, authorities are continuing to examine communication records and technical evidence to reconstruct the complete timeline of the crime.
