The death of 26-year-old real estate director Ketan Agrawal, who was pushed nearly 400 feet at Maharashtra’s Lohagad Fort on June 18, was first treated as an accident.
Investigators now say a mix of CCTV clues, a cancelled trip to Bali and a suspicious hoodie-wearing man helped crack open an alleged conspiracy involving his fiancee, Siya Goyal, and her reported lover.
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Bali trip that never happened
Police said the couple planned a pre-wedding photoshoot trip to Thailand’s Bali in the first week of June. The plan fell apart at the last moment.
“Investigation revealed that Siya had taken Ketan’s passport and misplaced it so that they could not travel to Bali,” Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said.
The couple reached Mumbai airport, but the trip was cancelled after Ketan’s passport went missing. “After returning, they planned the next step,” Gill said.
A hoodie that stood out
During the probe, Pune police examined CCTV footage and spotted a young man following the couple’s vehicle.
Officers found it suspicious, especially because he was wearing a hoodie despite the intense heat, News18 reported. That detail would later become a key lead.
SP Sandeep Gill said investigators used call detail records, IPDR analysis, CCTV footage, statements of relatives and witnesses, along with technical evidence to build the case.
Two visits to Lohagad Fort
Police said Ketan and Siya visited Lohagad Fort on June 14, but nothing happened that day.
On June 18, things allegedly changed. Siya’s alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, reportedly reached the spot after the couple and pushed Ketan from the fort, according to police.
CCTV trail
Addressing a press conference, Gill later explained how the case shifted from accident to murder.
Initially the case was ruled an accident where Siya Goyal’s fiance fell into a gorge while taking pictures just days before their wedding.
Her Instagram Story later read, “You left me on my birthday. You left when we were so close to getting married. I still can’t understand why you did this to me. I had dreams, questions I’ll never get answers to. Why did you leave me when I loved you so much? Rest in peace,” the post read.
Police then traced CCTV footage from routes leading to the fort and noticed a young man travelling behind the couple’s car. The same man in a hoodie was later seen near the accident site. This discovery, police said, helped link him to Siya Goyal.
Conspiracy and confession
According to police, Siya Goyal and her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary were in a relationship. Investigators say Siya did not want to marry Ketan and saw him as an obstacle. They allegedly conspired to kill him and planned the attack during a trip to Lohagad Fort.
ALSO READ | New twist in Pune man’s death during Lohagad trek as fiancée, friend held for ‘murder’
Police claimed that once all three were present at the location, Ketan was attacked and then pushed off the fort.
“The two had known each other for about a year,” Gill said. “They conspired to execute this plan; at Lohagad Fort, they pushed Ketan Agarwal, causing him to fall to his death.”
“Following a complaint lodged by Ketan’s father, Vishal Agarwal, the Lonavala rural police registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Tuesday,” Gill said.
Father’s claims and arrest
Ketan’s father told HT that the duo planned to murder him days earlier.
“On June 18, my 26-year-old son fell from Lohagad Fort and passed away. Initially, we believed it was an accidental slip, just as Siya Goyal had told us. However, her statements and suspicious behaviour later made us realise that this was not a simple accident.”
He also claimed, “Both Siya and her accomplice have confessed to the murder after their arrest and admitted that they had conspired and planned to kill him.”
“They also revealed that they had initially planned to murder him on June 14 but failed, after which they took him back to the fort on June 18 to execute the crime. I strongly believe that Sia Goyal’s parents, brother, and paternal aunt could also be involved, as they knew everything from the very beginning. I hope that everyone else involved in this heinous crime is also brought to justice,” he told HT.
Both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary are currently being produced before the court as the investigation continues.
(With inputs from Yogesh M Joshi)
