What initially appeared to be a tragic trekking accident at Maharashtra’s Lohagad Fort near Pune turned into a murder investigation after police found suspicious CCTV footage and other evidence, according to officials cited by news agency PTI.
Ketan Agarwal, a 26-year-old businessman from Pune district, died after falling from a cliff while trekking at the historic fort on June 18. The incident was initially registered as an accidental death after his fiancée Siya Goyal (20) allegedly told the family that he had slipped during the trek.
However, investigators later found circumstances that raised suspicion.
Police said CCTV footage from the fort’s ticket counter showed Ketan and Siya walking together. While examining the footage closely, investigators noticed a third person following them.
A police officer involved in the probe told PTI, “While investigating the case, we stumbled upon certain circumstances surrounding the incident that raised suspicion and prompted a deeper probe. We checked CCTV cameras installed at the ticket counter of the fort, where we spotted Ketan and Siya walking together.”
The unidentified man was seen walking a few metres behind the couple.
“He was wearing shorts and a hoodie. The front part of the hoodie was pulled so low that his face could not be seen. Additionally, the man was wearing a headset over the hoodie. In another footage clip, we noticed Siya suddenly looking back and, at the same time, the man in the hoodie suddenly sitting down,” the officer said.
Police found the man’s clothing unusual because the temperature at the time was around 33 degrees Celsius.
The officer said, “We later checked the temperature of that particular time on June 18 and found out that it was 33 degrees Celsius and wondered why would anyone wear a hoodie in such heat.”
This led investigators to examine the identity and movements of the hooded man.
During the investigation, police said they learnt from Ketan’s uncle that Siya had earlier expressed reservations about the marriage and had once asked whether the wedding could be postponed by a year.
Ketan and Siya had got engaged in February and were scheduled to marry in a grand ceremony in Udaipur in November. A palace had reportedly been booked for the wedding.
Police said inquiries with Ketan’s sister Sanjana and other family members revealed that Siya had repeatedly insisted that Ketan visit Lohagad Fort.
“Siya had repeatedly persuaded Agarwal to accompany her to Lohagad Fort on multiple occasions before the fatal incident. On May 31, Siya had taken Ketan to Lohagad Fort. She again insisted that he go to Lohagad Fort on June 4. However, Ketan's mother did not allow him to go there a second time,” an officer told PTI.
According to police, investigators found that Siya and her alleged partner Chetan Chaudhary wanted to “eliminate” Ketan before a planned Bali trip for a pre-wedding photoshoot.
Police said the trip did not happen after Ketan’s passport went missing under mysterious circumstances.
The officer told PTI that Siya again insisted Ketan visit Lohagad on June 14. During that visit, she allegedly tried to push him off the cliff.
However, Ketan reportedly managed to hold on to a bush.
“When Ketan wondered why he had been pushed, she raised a false alarm about a snake and tried to make it appear that she had protected him,” the officer said.
Following Ketan Agarwal’s death on June 18, Siya Goyal allegedly posted an emotional tribute on Instagram mourning her fiancé.
“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.
The Instagram story reportedly featured a video of Ketan speaking to someone while seated in the front seat of a car, followed by clips of the couple dancing. The post was set to a romantic song and carried the caption: “Mere dil ko pata hai ki tu yahi hai. Wapas aaja” (“My heart knows that you are here. Come back.”).
Following these developments, police expanded the investigation and examined technical evidence, including call records and digital communications.
According to the officer, Siya’s call detail records showed extensive communication with Chetan, who police identified as her alleged lover.
“We found thousands of calls exchanged between the two over an extended period, including several conversations lasting for hours,” the officer said.
Police said technical analysis indicated a close connection between the two and pointed towards a planned conspiracy.
Investigators then compared photographs from Chetan’s social media profiles with CCTV footage of the hooded man at the fort.
“Based on the technical evidence and intelligence gathered by the Lonavala Rural Police Station and the Local Crime Branch (LCB), teams traced and detained Chaudhary for questioning,” the officer said.
“During interrogation, we connected all the dots, which revealed a premeditated conspiracy involving Siya and Chetan,” he added.
Police arrested Siya and Chetan and booked them on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.
According to police, the motive appeared to be linked to Siya’s relationship with Chetan and her alleged unwillingness to continue with the marriage to Ketan.
The officer said Chetan was asked why the two did not run away instead of allegedly deciding to eliminate Ketan.
“According to him, Siya was not in favour of calling off the engagement and eloping with Chetan, as she thought doing so would bring disrespect to her family,” the officer said.
Ketan, a resident of Gahunje in Pune district, was a director and chief marketing officer of Success Group, his family’s real estate business. He had completed an MS in Entrepreneurship, while Siya held a commerce degree from a private college.
Police investigations into the case are ongoing.
