A new angle has emerged in the alleged murder of Pune businessman Ketan Agrawal, with police suspecting that his fiancée, Siya Goyal, was unwilling to marry him and was under pressure from her family to go ahead with the wedding.
Ketan Agrawal died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. While the incident was initially treated as an accident, police now believe it was part of a planned murder conspiracy.
According to investigators, Siya Goyal and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, have been arrested in connection with the case. Both have been sent to police custody until June 29.
Ketan, who was the director and Chief Marketing Officer of his family’s real estate business, had gone to Lohagad Fort with Siya to celebrate her birthday. The couple was scheduled to get married in November.
Police said the wedding preparations were already underway, with the families reportedly booking a palace in Rajasthan and arranging private aircraft for guests.
At first, Siya told police that Ketan had accidentally slipped while taking photographs near the edge of the fort. Based on her statement, an accidental death report was registered and rescue teams recovered Ketan’s body.
However, investigators later found several inconsistencies in her version of events.
During the investigation, police discovered that Siya was allegedly in a relationship with Chetan Chaudhary. Officials believe she was reluctant to marry Ketan and saw him as an obstacle to her relationship with Chaudhary.
According to police, the two met at a Diwali party last year and remained in contact. Investigators claim that digital evidence and questioning of the accused suggest they discussed removing Ketan from their lives.
Police are also looking into whether there were earlier attempts to harm Ketan.
According to investigators, Ketan and Siya visited Lohagad Fort on June 14, just four days before his death. Ketan’s father, Vishal Agrawal, alleged that his son was pushed near a cliff edge during that visit but managed to save himself by grabbing nearby bushes.
He claimed Siya later blamed the incident on a snake and said she pushed him only to protect him.
Investigators are also examining another visit to the fort on May 31 to determine whether it was part of a larger plan.
Police believe the alleged conspiracy was carried out on June 18. According to officials, Chaudhary reached the fort before the couple arrived and later followed them to an isolated spot.
Investigators allege that Siya and Chaudhary pushed Ketan into a gorge nearly 400 feet deep and then tried to present the death as an accident.
The case took a dramatic turn when police detained Chaudhary for questioning. During interrogation, details of the alleged conspiracy reportedly emerged, leading to Siya’s arrest.
Ketan’s father has also made several additional allegations. He claimed Siya intentionally sabotaged a planned pre-wedding trip to Bali by removing Ketan’s passport, causing the trip to be cancelled.
He also questioned Siya’s behaviour after Ketan’s death, claiming she showed no visible signs of grief when his body was brought home.
Police have not confirmed these allegations and said the investigation is still ongoing.
Following a complaint filed by Ketan’s father, Lonavala Rural Police registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy. Investigators are now examining forensic evidence, digital records and witness statements to establish the complete sequence of events.
Police are also trying to determine whether any other individuals were involved in the alleged conspiracy.
