Ketan Vishal Agarwal (left) and his fiance Siya Goyal (right), who has been arrested along with her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary on suspicion of pushing Agarwal to his death at Pune's Lohagad Fort on June 19. Photo: Instagram, X (Ketan Vishal Agarwal, Siya Goyal)
Pune businessman didn't fall to death, but was pushed by fiancée, say police
Ketan Agarwal's fall at Lohagad Fort, initially treated as an accident, is now a murder case; police have arrested his fiancée and her alleged lover
The death of Ketan Vishal Agarwal, a 25-year-old Pune-based real estate businessman, during a trek to Lohagad Fort on June 19, initially believed to be due to an accidental fall, has taken a dramatic turn, with police suspecting it to be a murder.
Police suspect Ketan was pushed off the fort by his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary. The duo has been arrested.
According to India Today, investigators believe Ketan was pushed into a valley, nearly 350 to 400 feet deep, by the two accused. His body was recovered following a rescue operation by the Lonavala Rural Police and the Shivdurg Mitra Emergency Rescue Team.
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Ketan had organised the trip as a birthday celebration for Siya, who turned 20 that day. The couple, residents of Gahunje, were scheduled to wed next month. Their families had reportedly booked a palace venue in Jaipur and a wedding venue in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
Second murder attempt?
Ketan's death was allegedly the second attempt on his life. On June 14, the two accused reportedly took him to the same fort and allegedly tried to push him into the valley by creating a false alarm about a snake. The attempt allegedly failed.
Police said Siya's marriage to Ketan was fixed by her family, but she didn't want to marry him as she was in a relationship with Chetan. Seeing Ketan as an obstacle, the two hatched a plan to eliminate him, police said.
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Digital trail raises red flags
The direction of the investigation changed after police found that Siya was allegedly "withholding certain information during questioning." Investigators subsequently examined her mobile phone records, social media activity and other technical evidence. Police also alleged that Siya tore up and discarded her passport in a hotel washroom to cancel a pre-wedding Bali trip the couple had planned together.
Family in shock
A family member told the media that Ketan had booked nearly 40 rooms at a luxury resort in Mahabaleshwar for Siya's birthday and had made elaborate wedding arrangements. "Police said their investigation has concluded that the incident was not an accident but a planned murder," India Today reported. The case, initially registered as an accidental death, has since been converted into a murder investigation.