Lohagad Fort Murder Trial Delayed Over Digital Evidence

The judicial process for framing charges in the murder of young entrepreneur Ketan Agrawal at Lohagad fort has been deferred to November 17. This postponement occurred because the defense lawyers for the accused raised significant objections concerning the accessibility of digital evidence and other trial-related documents. The hearing, which took place at the additional district and sessions court in Wadgaon Maval, followed the Pune Rural police's submission of a comprehensive 5,053-page chargesheet.

The three individuals accused in this case—Siya Goyal, Chetan Chaudhary, and Ritesh Hange—were present via video conferencing. Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam represented the prosecution. The defense team argued that the trial could not proceed without the provision of digital evidence, asserting their clients' right to necessary case documents. Nikam countered that the evidence had been uploaded to a portal and was available for review.

Investigative findings revealed a focus on the relationship between Siya and Chetan, alleged premeditated actions, and digital evidence from cellphones. Police claimed the accused rehearsed the murder before Agrawal was pushed from the fort on June 18. Nikam indicated that charge framing would proceed at the next hearing, with the prosecution relying on documentary evidence.