Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal has been murdered in a case that police say involved a pre-planned effort to mislead investigators and evade digital surveillance. Amid the ongoing investigation, the nearly 10-hour period of “offline movement” of accused Chetan Chaudhary has emerged as a major focus.
Investigators say Choudhury remained completely disconnected from mobile internet for approximately 640 minutes on the day of the incident. Police believe the long period of no contact was a deliberate attempt to avoid digital tracking. However, investigators say the unusual gap in communication eventually helped them reconstruct the sequence of events.
Also Read: Ketan Agarwal Murder: Inside Chetan ‘Friend’ Sia’s 640 Minutes Strategy That Backfired
10-hour offline strategy
- 7 am: Investigators allege Chetan Choudhary turned off mobile internet on his phone at around 7 a.m. on June 18 and took additional steps to limit his digital traceability.
- midday: According to NDTV, Choudhary allegedly continued to move in what investigators described as “digital infiltration”, as he reportedly used the employee’s mobile phone for limited communication while traveling towards Lohagad Fort.
- 2 pm: Police allege that Chaudhry was wearing a thick winter jacket despite temperatures of around 33 degrees Celsius, apparently to avoid recognition while following the couple on the Al Hosn Road.
Read also: Siya was taken to Lohagad Fort in Pune to recreate Ketan’s murder scene, and a doll of the same weight was used
- 2:30 pm: In a secluded place near the Vinchu Katha mountain range, Siya Goyal allegedly sat as a predetermined visual cue. Chaudhary then came out of hiding and pushed Ketan Agarwal off the cliff, leading to his death, the NDTV report said.
- 5:40 PM: Police say Chaudhry is back online after being offline for several hours. Investigators believe the sudden return of contact was unusual and helped them narrow down the timeline leading up to the alleged murder.
Latest developments in the case
Agarwal’s fiancée, Siya Goyal, was taken to Lohagad Fort on Sunday to recreate the sequence of events that led to the alleged murder.
“The police have reconstructed the entire chain of events, including the route taken by the accused, their locations at the scene, the actions allegedly carried out and the manner in which the accident took place,” Pune Rural Police Superintendent Sandeep Singh Gill said.
Deputy Inspector of Police Gajanan Tumbe said the police also made a dummy of the same weight as Ketan to reconstruct the accident scene.
Police on Saturday extensively questioned Sia Goyal’s parents and brother in connection with the alleged murder of her fiancé and Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal.
Siya’s parents Praveen, Pooja Goyal and brother Sahil arrived at Lonavala Rural Police Station around 11 am to record their statements and left after nearly 12 hours, an official said.
Earlier on Friday, police interrogated Sohail for more than 10 hours.
(With inputs from agencies)
