Pune police have made another arrest in the investigation into the murder of Ketan Agrawal. Ritesh Hinge, a close friend and classmate of main accused Chetan Chaudhary, has been taken into custody. Investigators say Ritesh was aware of the entire conspiracy and had complete knowledge of the murder plan before it was carried out. A court has sent him to police custody until 12 September, and he will be made a co-accused in the case.
Death At Lohgad Fort Was First Treated As An Accident
Ketan Agrawal died after falling from Lohgad fort. It was initially treated as a straightforward accident, but once police dug deeper into the case, it became clear that this was not an accident but a planned murder. Ketan's fiancee Siya Goyal and her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary have already been arrested in connection with the case. According to police, the fiancee and her lover carried out the murder together in June. As the investigation progressed, it emerged that Chaudhary's classmate Ritesh Hinge also had prior knowledge of the entire plot, deepening police suspicion of him. Police allege that Ketan was deliberately taken to Lohgad and pushed into a ravine there, in a way designed to look like an accident.
The Conspiracy Was Discussed On 18 June
According to police sources, before the murder, Chaudhary and his girlfriend Siya Goyal discussed the entire plan and how it would be executed with Ritesh Hinge at Lohgad fort on 18 June. Sources said the two repeatedly asked Hinge to accompany them to Lohgad on the day of the murder, but he refused each time. It is precisely this refusal that has led police to suspect he already knew about the alleged conspiracy before the killing took place, even though he was not present at the scene. The investigation also revealed that Chaudhary met Hinge directly right after Agrawal's death, while Goyal remained in continuous contact with him. Investigators believe this ongoing contact, along with the meeting immediately after the death, suggests Hinge was not merely a bystander but someone who held knowledge of the conspiracy.
Who Is Ritesh Hinge
Police traced Ritesh Hinge based on information recovered from Chaudhary's mobile phone. Originally from Beed district, Hinge currently works at a private company in the Balewadi area of Pune. According to sources, he had been in continuous contact with Chaudhary since the last week of May, meaning conversations between the two had been going on for roughly three weeks before the murder. Police are now questioning him in detail to determine exactly how much he knew about the conspiracy and whether he played any direct role in planning or executing the crime.
What Happens Next In The Investigation
Following Hinge's arrest, police are hopeful that the remaining links in the conspiracy will soon fall into place. Investigators are also working to establish who else may have been involved in the plot. During his period in custody, Hinge will be questioned in detail so that the complete timeline of the murder, the role played by each person involved, and the full motive behind the conspiracy can come to light.
