A 26-year-old man from Pune tragically lost his life after falling into a deep gorge while taking photographs during a trekking trip with his fiancée at Lohagad Fort in Maval tehsil, as confirmed by police on Friday.
Victim Identified as Real Estate Director
The deceased, Ketan Vishal Agarwal, a resident of Gahunje, served as a director in his family-run real estate firm. He was scheduled to marry his fiancée in November, with wedding preparations already underway.
According to police reports, Agarwal visited the historic fort on Thursday morning accompanied by his fiancée and two friends. The group had planned the outing to celebrate her upcoming birthday. Around 10:30 am, while Agarwal was capturing photographs near a cliff edge, he slipped and plunged approximately 400 feet into a valley below, sustaining fatal injuries.
Strong Winds Contributed to Incident
Inspector Dinesh Tayde of Lonavala Rural police station stated that strong winds were blowing at the time of the incident, which may have contributed to the accident. He added, "Agarwal's wedding was planned for November, and it is learned that the families had booked a palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan, for the wedding."
Rescue Operation and Investigation
Upon receiving an alert, police personnel along with members of the Shivdurg Mitra Emergency Rescue Team launched a challenging three-hour operation to retrieve Agarwal's body from the difficult terrain, which featured dense vegetation and steep slopes.
The body was subsequently sent for post-mortem examination. Authorities have registered an accidental death report, and a thorough investigation is currently underway to determine the exact circumstances leading to the tragedy.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers associated with trekking and photography in hazardous locations, especially during adverse weather conditions. Police have urged visitors to exercise extreme caution when visiting such sites.
