Ketan Agarwal Murder case: Ketan Agarwal had gone on a trekking trip to Lohagad on June 18 with his fiancée Siya Goyal, as part of her birthday celebrations. Police said the couple was due to tie the knot in November. Then how did he land up in a gorge? Let us take a look at all that we know about the case
Published: June 23, 2026, 11:44 PM IST
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Ketan Agarwal (left) was allegedly killed by his fiancee Siya Goyal and her lover Chetan Chaudhary. Image Credit: @sirajnoorani/X
Ketan Agarwal Murder case: What was first treated as an accidental death of 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal in Pune has now taken a darker turn, with police claiming it was a planned killing involving his fiancée Siya Goyal and her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary.
On June 18, Ketan, who worked as a director in his family’s real estate firm, fell nearly 400 feet into a gorge near Lohagad Fort in Pune and died. His fiancée initially said he slipped while clicking photos, but police have since ruled out that version after their investigation.
Police have termed the incident a “premeditated conspiracy” allegedly involving Ketan’s fiancée Goyal and her associate Chetan Chaudhary, 22, a Kondhwa resident. The duo was arrested on June 23 for murder and criminal conspiracy. According to investigators, Goyal was in a relationship with Chaudhary and considered Ketan an obstacle.
Ketan was engaged to Goyal, and they were slated to tie the knot in November in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
Accused sent to 7-day custody
The prime accused Ketan’s fiancée Siya Goyal and her lover Chetan Chaudhary were sent to a seven-day police custody on Tuesday by a court in Maval taluka in Pune. According the police, the local crime branch took Chaudhary into custody. During interrogation, it emerged that since Ketan was becoming an obstacle in Chaudhary’s relationship with Siya, they plotted to eliminate him.
“Our investigation found that Chaudhary had reached the fort before the couple arrived. He subsequently followed them to an isolated spot, where he and Siya allegedly pushed Ketan Agarwal into the valley, resulting in his death,” Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural, Sandip Singh Gill said. Gill further said that the circumstances surrounding the death appeared suspicious, which prompted the police to investigate the case thoroughly.
Initial investigation revealed…
The investigation showed that Siya was unwilling to marry Ketan and considered him an obstacle to her relationship with Chaudhary, police said.
The two allegedly conspired to eliminate Ketan, and as part of the plan, Siya took him to Lohagad fort under the pretext of an outing, while Chaudhary was called to the spot later, police said. The duo then allegedly pushed Ketan off the fort, leading to his death, police said.
Couple set to tie the knot in November
The family is said to have booked a palace in Rajasthan for Rs 17 crore and arranged two private jets for guests. Police said Siya initially reported that Ketan slipped while posing for pictures and fell into the gorge, after which his body was recovered following a three-hour rescue effort.
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Siya and Chetan pushed Ketan to death
According to police, Siya and Chetan Babulal Chaudhary, 22, allegedly killed Ketan and tried to make it appear as though he had died in a tragic accident. What first seemed to be an accidental fall eventually turned into a murder investigation, officials said.
Ketan, who lived in Gahunje in Pune district and worked as a director in his family-run real estate business, fell nearly 400 feet into a gorge while clicking photographs in strong winds at the fort, police said. Based on Siya’s statement that he slipped during a visit to the hill fort, Lonavala rural police had initially registered an accidental death report.
Suspicious circumstances led police doubt
Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural, Sandip Singh Gill, said on Tuesday that the circumstances surrounding the death appeared suspicious, which prompted police to investigate the case thoroughly. “Our teams examined multiple angles, including financial disputes and personal relationships. During the probe, police found that Siya was in a relationship with Chaudhary, a resident of Kondhwa in Pune,” he said.
The investigation showed that Siya was unwilling to marry Ketan and considered him an obstacle to her relationship with Chaudhary, police said. The two allegedly conspired to eliminate Ketan, and as part of the plan, Siya took him to Lohagad Fort under the pretext of an outing, while Chaudhary was called to the spot later, police said.
What has Ketan’s father said?
Ketan’s father Vishal Agarwal said, “When the police came with my son’s body, Siya did not show any reaction. There was no sadness on her face.” He further alleged that Siya had earlier sabotaged a planned pre-wedding trip to Bali.
According to him, Siya, Ketan, her brother and Ketan’s sister were travelling to Mumbai airport for a flight to Indonesia, carrying all four passports in a single pouch.
“At a food mall in Lonavala, Siya returned to the car on the pretext of fetching her phone. When they later reached the airport, Ketan’s passport was missing from the pouch, forcing them to cancel the trip,” Agarwal claimed.
He said that after the trip to Bali was cancelled, Siya fought with Ketan and insisted that they go to Lohagad. “On June 14, Siya and Ketan had gone to the same spot at Lohagad Fort from where he was later pushed. At the time, he managed to save himself by holding on to nearby bushes. When Ketan realised he had been pushed, Siya raised a false alarm about a snake and claimed she had pushed him only to protect him. Looking back, I believe there was an attempt to kill Ketan even on June 14,” Agarwal alleged.
