Pune Businessman Ketan Agarwal Siya Praveen Goyal Lohagad Fort Murder Chetan Chaudhary Police

Just months after an engagement in February and having started preparations for an extravagant destination wedding in Rajasthan, 25-year-old Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal was allegedly murdered by the very woman he was set to marry and her lover.

A probe by Pune Rural police revealed a chronology of the case.

What began as a relationship headed towards a lavish celebration ended in a fatal push off a cliff at Lohagad Hill fort and the arrest of Agarwal’s fiancée, Siya Praveen Goyal (20), a commerce student and aspiring baker and her lover, Chetan Babulal Chaudhary (22), a BBA student.

“On the day of the incident, Goyal and Agarwal climbed the fort. Chaudhary, who had already reached the fort premises, went after them. The two then pushed Agarwal off the cliff, resulting in his death. After the fall, Goyal started screaming, which alerted security guards at Lohagad fort. She also made a distressed call to the Agarwal family. Soon the family reached the fort and the body was handed over to them after the post mortem. After the registration of the ADR, our teams started recording the sequence of events and statements,” An officer who was part of the probe said.

According to Pune Rural police, Agarwal and Goyal got engaged in February and were scheduled to marry later this around November. The wedding plans were already well underway. Investigators said a palace in Rajasthan had been booked for the destination wedding and arrangements made for two special flights to ferry guests and families. But behind the wedding preparations, police said, Goyal continued her relationship with Chaudhary and did not want to get married to Agarwal.

“It has come to light that Goyal and Chaudhary were in a relationship before Goyal and Agarwal’s marriage was fixed. Goyal and Agarwal got engaged in February and were to get married later this year. We now know that Goyal did not want to get married and that is why she conspired with Chaudhary,” an officer associated with the probe said. Investigators believe the conspiracy began weeks before Agarwal’s death.

Another indication came from a cancelled pre-wedding trip to Bali earlier this month. Police said Agarwal and Goyal had travelled to Mumbai airport for the trip but were forced to return after Agarwal’s passport went missing. “In our probe after the death, it has come to light that Siya Goyal had taken the passport to avoid going to Bali with Agarwal,” Pune Rural SP Sandeep Singh Gill said.

The investigation revealed that Lohagad Fort was not a random destination. According to police, Goyal had taken Agarwal to on two occasions before June 18, making the fatal visit their third trip together.

“One of the visits was on May 31 and another on June 14. She had also called him to come to visit the fort with her on June 4, but Agarwal did not go. On June 18, Chaudhary reached the fort premises before the couple arrived. After Goyal and Agarwal climbed the fort, Chaudhary followed them,” an officer said.

Sushant Kulkarni is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express in Pune with 12+ years of experience covering issues related to Crime, Defence, Internal Security and Courts. He has been associated with the Indian Express since July 2010. Sushant has extensively reported on law and order issues of Pune and surrounding area, Cyber crime, narcotics trade and terrorism. His coverage in the Defence beat includes operational aspects of the three services, the defence research and development and issues related to key defence establishments. He has covered several sensitive cases in the courts at Pune. Sushant is an avid photographer, plays harmonica and loves cooking. ... Read More