Accused Chetan Chaudhary in the Ketan Agarwal murder case is brought to Lonavala Rural Police Station for investigation at Lonavala, in Pune on Tuesday. (ANI Video Grab)
NEW DELHI: In a fresh development in the alleged murder case at Pune’s Lohagarh Fort, police are set to conduct a “gait analysis” of accused Chetan Chaudhary, who was reportedly seen near the scene of the crime on the day of the incident.This marks another turn in a case that has made nationwide headlines since the “cover-up” came to light.Chaudhary is accused of pushing 26-year-old Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal off Lohagarh Fort on June 18. According to police, he committed the murder for his friend “Siya Goyal,” Agarwal’s fiancée and a co-accused in the case.
What is gait analysis
As the name suggests, the procedure examines an individual’s “gait” — their manner or style of walking or running. It is a detailed assessment of how a person stands and walks and is commonly used to identify abnormal walking patterns, which may result from disease or injury.The procedure, which typically takes two to four hours, requires the subject to take 10 consecutive steps without assistance for an effective evaluation.In forensic investigations, gait analysis is used by police to help identify suspects captured in CCTV or other video footage.
Why gait analysis in this case
Police are seeking a gait analysis because CCTV footage from the day of the incident shows a hooded figure walking near Lohagarh Fort.Investigators believe comparing the person’s walking pattern with that of the accused could help determine whether the individual in the footage is Chaudhary.Police will also conduct a fresh reconstruction of the crime scene with Chaudhary, as only Goyal has participated in the exercise so far.As part of the ongoing investigation, officers will also attempt to recover the clothes he was wearing on the day of the incident.During the earlier reconstruction with Goyal, police used a dummy matching Agarwal’s weight to recreate how they believe the incident unfolded.Investigators have already recovered some evidence linked to Chaudhary, including his two-wheeler, which police say he used to travel from Pune to Lohagarh Fort. Authorities have also seized the hoodie and headphones they claim he was wearing on June 18.
The case
Ketan Agarwal was initially reported to have died after falling from Lohagarh Fort, following which a case was registered. However, investigators later concluded that he was pushed off the fort. Police suspect the prime accused, Siya Goyal, was unwilling to marry at this stage of her life and was under family pressure to marry Agarwal.Goyal and her friend Chetan Chaudhary were arrested on June 23 and are currently in seven-day police custody as the investigation continues.Following the incident, the Maharashtra government approved the setting up of a fast-track court and appointed senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor in the case.The decision came after Agarwal’s father met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought swift justice. Fadnavis assured the family that strict action would be taken against the accused and that the case would be fast-tracked.(With ANI inputs)
