Police said Siya and Chetan wanted to “eliminate” Ketan before she and the businessman were scheduled to leave for Bali for a pre-wedding photoshoot.
Siya Goyal did not want to walk away from her engagement with Ketan Agarwal and elope with her lover, Chetan Chaudhary, in fear of family humiliation, so she instead chose to kill her fiancé.
26-year-old Ketan died while on a trek at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. He was allegedly pushed into the gorge by his fiancée, Siya (20), and her lover, Chetan (22).
During the interrogation, co-accused Chetan was asked why they did not consider running away and instead chose 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,” police sources told news agency PTI.
Quick answers to key questions
Siya Goyal’s motive for killing Ketan Agrawal stemmed from her relationship with Chetan Chaudhary and her unwillingness to proceed with the marriage, as she feared family disrespect if she eloped.
Police uncovered the conspiracy by analyzing CCTV footage from Lohagad Fort, revealing suspicious behavior from Chetan, and gathering evidence of prior attempts on Ketan’s life, including Siya’s insistence on visiting the fort multiple times.
Siya Goyal allegedly hid Ketan’s passport to sabotage their planned trip to Bali, which was part of her strategy to avoid the marriage by creating obstacles.
Prior to his murder, there were at least two attempts on Ketan’s life, including Siya’s failed push on June 14, which she covered up by claiming there was a snake.
After the failed push on June 14, Siya Goyal raised a false alarm about a snake to disguise her actions and claimed she was trying to protect Ketan during the incident.
Police said Siya and Chetan wanted to “eliminate” Ketan before she and the businessman were scheduled to leave for Bali for a pre-wedding photoshoot. That trip did not materialise as Ketan’s passport mysteriously went missing before the trip.
Ketan’s uncle also told police that Siya had earlier expressed reservations about the marriage and had once asked whether the wedding could be postponed by a year.
Siya and Ketan got engaged in February and were scheduled to get married in a grand wedding ceremony at Udaipur in November, for which a palace had been booked.
Hoodie at 33°C gave away lover
Chetan Chaudhary was identified as a co-accused of Ketan’s murder because of CCTV footage from the fort showing a man wearing a hoodie despite the temperature being around 33 degrees Celsius.
The police, according to a PTI report, found the hoodie unusual, and his overall suspicious movements prompted them to probe Ketan’s death further, which initially appeared to be a tragic trekking accident.
“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,” said a police officer who was part of the probe.
While examining the footage minutely, police noticed a man who was a few metres behind Ketan and Siya.
“The man 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 official said.
He said they later checked the temperature of that particular time on June 18 and found out that it was 33 degrees Celsius, and wondered why anyone would wear a hoodie in such heat.
Not the first attempt at Ketan’s life
“During inquiries with Ketan’s sister, Sanjana, and other family members, we came to know that Siya had repeatedly persuaded Agarwal to accompany her to Lohagad Fort on multiple occasions before the fatal incident,” the officer said. “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.”
Siya once again insisted that Ketan go to Lohagad on June 14. On that day, she allegedly tried to push Ketan off the cliff. However, he 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.
He added that following these developments, investigators widened the probe and analysed technical evidence, including call detail records and digital communication data.
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