MUMBAI: A cricket connection has emerged in the investigation into the alleged murder of 25-year-old Ketan Agarwal at Lohagad Fort, with police claiming it brought accused Siya Goyal and her alleged boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary together.
During the investigation, police questioned Siya's brother, Sahil Goyal, who told investigators that his sister used to accompany him to his cricket matches, where she first met 22-year-old Chetan Chaudhary. He said they met again at a Diwali party hosted by a common friend last year, after which they grew closer. Sahil also told police that Chetan wanted to pursue a professional cricket career, including playing Ranji Trophy cricket, and that Siya supported his plans.
According to investigators, Siya and Chetan had allegedly been in a relationship since October 2025. Police claim they conspired to kill Ketan because Siya allegedly did not want to go ahead with the marriage, which was scheduled for December this year. Ketan, the son of a Pune-based developer, got engaged to 20-year-old Siya in May.
Police said both accused had deleted their WhatsApp chats, Instagram conversations and other digital records from their mobile phones. The deleted data is being examined through forensic analysis to recover their conversations.
Investigators have also seized CCTV footage from a café in Lonavala where Siya and Chetan allegedly met on June 17, a day before Ketan's death. Police claim the two spent nearly an hour discussing their visit to Lohagad Fort and watched videos of the fort on a mobile phone to familiarise themselves with the terrain.
Senior police officials said digital evidence has become a crucial part of the investigation as authorities attempt to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the alleged conspiracy.
Ketan died on June 18 after falling from Lohagad Fort. While the incident was initially treated as an accidental fall, police later registered a murder case and arrested Siya Goyal and her alleged boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary.
Police sources also claimed that while in custody, Siya allegedly requested beer, saying she wanted to relax and was suffering from a headache. The request was declined, and officials said she did not repeat it. Police also referred to a video of Siya consuming liquor that had gone viral on social media.
Both accused are being kept in separate lock-ups and questioned independently. Police said further forensic findings and witness statements are expected to play a key role in the investigation.
Siya's parents told police that their daughter had never informed them about any relationship with Chetan Chaudhary or expressed a desire to marry him. They said that had she done so, they would not have insisted on her marriage to Ketan. They also said Siya wanted to continue her education and career and that they were unaware of her friendship with Chetan.
