Ketan Agarwal murder: Inside the 640-minute offline strategy of Siya's alleged boyfriend Chetan that backfired

What investigators describe as a carefully planned attempt to evade police surveillance has become one of the strongest pieces of evidence in the alleged murder of Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal.

According to Pune Rural Police, Chetan Chaudhary — the alleged boyfriend of Ketan's fiancée, Siya Goyal — deliberately disconnected from the internet for nearly 640 minutes on June 18, the day Ketan died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort. Investigators allege that Chaudhary also left his personal mobile phone at his workplace and instead carried an employee's phone in an effort to avoid location tracking.

Offline plan raises more suspicion

Police said the alleged strategy ultimately backfired. During the investigation, officers noticed that Chaudhary's phone remained offline from around 7 am until approximately 5:40 pm — an unusually long digital blackout that immediately drew investigators' attention. Further inquiries revealed that although incoming calls to his phone were answered throughout the day, callers were speaking to employees at his shop rather than Chaudhary himself. Police have since recorded statements from those employees as part of the ongoing probe.

Thousands of calls uncovered

The investigation has also revealed the extent of communication between the two accused. Call Detail Record (CDR) analysis showed that Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary exchanged more than 2,004 phone calls between January 1 and June 18, spending nearly 238 hours in conversation over the six-month period. Investigators say the frequency of communication became a significant indicator while reconstructing the alleged conspiracy.

Police also claim that calls and messages between the duo continued even after Ketan Agarwal's death, with forensic analysis of their digital communications still underway.

Alleged conspiracy

According to investigators, Ketan Agarwal, a 25-year-old real estate company director from Pune, was allegedly lured to Lohagad Fort, where he was pushed into a deep gorge. The death was initially believed to be a trekking accident before investigators began uncovering evidence suggesting it was a planned murder. Police allege that Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary had made multiple unsuccessful attempts to kill Agarwal before the fatal incident on June 18.

Investigators have further alleged that the accused met at a Pune café a day before the incident to finalise the plan and identify the exact location where the crime would be carried out.

Probe continues

Both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary are in police custody. During questioning, each has reportedly accused the other of being the mastermind behind the alleged murder, adding a fresh twist to the high-profile case. Police are continuing to examine digital evidence, CCTV footage, witness statements and forensic material to establish the sequence of events and determine individual roles in the alleged conspiracy.