Ketan Agarwal murder: How fiancée and lover plotted the Pune man’s killing during Lohagad fort trek

The death of 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal, son of prominent Pune real-estate businessman Vishal Agarwal, was initially thought to be an accident until police unravelled the sinister plan of his fiancée Siya Goyal and her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary to kill him.

Ketan, who was the real estate director in his family business, died on June 18 after falling nearly 400 feet into a gorge near Lohagad Fort, Pune, Maharashtra. The theory Goyal floated was that Ketan slipped and fell while taking pictures, which cops have now debunked after examining the circumstances.

Investigators called the so-called trekking accident "a premeditated plot" involving the victim’s fiancée, Goyal, and Chaudhary, 22, a resident of Kondhwa in Pune. Today (June 23), both were arrested on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. According to the police, Goyal was already in a relationship with Chaudhary and saw Ketan as an obstacle.

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Ketan was engaged to Goyal, and they were slated to tie the knot in November in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

We take a closer look at the case.

How the duo conspired to kill Ketan

During the investigation, police discovered that Goyal did not want to marry Ketan due to her relationship with her alleged lover. The duo then conspired to kill Ketan.

Goyal planned to visit Lohagad Fort with Ketan, under the pretext of a casual outing. Chaudhary was also reportedly called to the place later, the probe revealed.

Lohagad fort, linked to the history of the founder of the Maratha Empire, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is one of the 12 forts in Maharashtra listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Image courtesy: UNESCO

Investigators claimed that once the trio assembled at the location, Ketan was attacked with an object from behind and then pushed off the fort into the gorge by the pair, resulting in his death. According to officials, the entire incident was staged to look like an accident.

“The two had known each other for about a year. They conspired to execute this plan; at Lohagad Fort, they pushed Ketan Agarwal, causing him to fall to his death," Pune Rural Police SP Sandeep Singh Gill said as quoted by the Hindustan Times (HT).

"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 added.

Gill also stated that further scrutiny by the Pune Rural Police revealed several inconsistencies and that the circumstances seemed suspicious, prompting officials to probe multiple angles of the case.

Passport trick, snake excuses: The many attempts to kill Ketan

The heinous plan to kill Keta was in the making for a long time. What happened on June 18 was not the first move. Four days before the fatal fall, Goyal, alone this time, made an attempt on his life at the same location, the deceased's father revealed.

According to him, she pushed his son from the fort on June 14; however, Ketan managed to save himself by grabbing a bush. Goyal then screamed "snake, snake" and went to hug him, showing relief.

"On June 14, they both went to the fort alone, and Siya pushed Ketan. After the push, Ketan grabbed a bush and escaped. He then began to regain consciousness, realising that he had been pushed and that he had survived. Fearing the secret would be revealed, Siya shouted 'snake, snake', and went and hugged him," the father said.

He furthered that when Goyal and Ketan arrived at the airport ahead of a pre-wedding trip to Bali, his son's passport was missing.

"When they arrived at the airport, everyone's passports were there, but Ketan's passport was missing. It seemed as if it had fallen somewhere. They tried to search for it, but the passport was nowhere to be found. Therefore, they returned. After returning, on the third or fourth day, she quarrelled with him again, arguing that they had to go to Lohagad Fort," he said, NDTV reported.

How father's suspicion grew against Goyal

The family, like the police, initially believed it was an accidental slip. However, according to Ketan's father's account, the suspicion against Goyal grew after cops came with his son's body.

Siya, as per his father, didn't react after seeing Ketan's body. "There was no sadness on her face, and that bothered us," he told NDTV. Her later comments and suspicious behaviour made us realise that this was not a simple accident, he added.

The deceased's father also alleged that her family was aware of her love affair; however, they still pushed for her to have the wedding.

"We have known the girl's family for 35 years. How could they do this to us? Siya's uncle and aunt pushed for the match despite knowing about her affair," he said. The heartbroken father asked why Goyal did not refuse to marry in the first place if she loved someone else.

"If she didn't want to get married, she could have simply refused. We would have cancelled the wedding immediately. Why did they take such a drastic step? What kind of mindset is this? Their mindset is so cruel that someone's 26-year-old son could be killed. Society needs to take note of such a cruel mindset. Where does this ideology come from - their family, their upbringing?" he said.

Did Goyal and her lover confess to the crime?

Ketan's father, Vishal Agarwal, said both have confessed to their crime.

“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," he told HT.

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,” the father added.

According to the police, during the interrogation, Chaudhary disclosed the plot, and Goyal was arrested on the basis of that information.

The heartbroken family is demanding strict punishment for the accused. "The only son of the family has been snatched away. The guilty must be hanged, and all others who helped them must also be brought to justice," the father said.

According to a relative, preparations for their marriage were in full swing; however, "this incident has come as a huge shock to both families."

With inputs from agencies