Why Siya sat down before Ketan was pushed off fort: Cops reveal death plan

Police say Siya Goyal used a sit-down signal to boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary before Ketan Agarwal was pushed off Lohagad Fort. Investigators claim the pair planned the killing carefully, practised beforehand and tried to avoid detection.

In Short

• Investigators said the sit-down signal was designed to protect Goyal during the fall
• Chaudhary allegedly rode a scooter to avoid toll plaza detection
• Police said he changed clothes at the fort to avoid attention

Police on Sunday said Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal's fiance Siya Goyal and her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary had carefully planned his killing at Lohagad Fort in Pune district. Investigators said Goyal was to sit down as a signal for Chaudhary to push the 25-year-old off a cliff on June 18, and the move was also meant to keep her out of his reach during the fall.

Police said Chaudhary had also tried to hide his movements by travelling from Pune to the fort, about 90 km away, on a scooter instead of a car to avoid possible detection at a toll plaza. Goyal, 20, and Chaudhary, 22, have been arrested for allegedly conspiring to kill Agarwal.

An official said the two had decided that Goyal would sit down either to drink water or on the pretext of tying her shoelaces, and that would be the signal for Chaudhary to act. According to the official, they carried out the plan as intended. "The signal was chosen deliberately so that Goyal would not be within the victim's reach during the fatal push. They feared that if Chetan pushed Ketan and the latter tried to grab Siya while falling, she too could fall into the gorge. The plan was made keeping her safety in mind," he said.

According to police, Chaudhary travelled to Lohagad Fort on the morning of June 18 and returned to Pune on the same scooter after the alleged crime. "Chaudhary travelled to Lohgad Fort on the morning of June 18. He chose a scooter over a car as he feared that the car could be detected at a toll plaza. We have seized the scooter," a police officer who is part of the investigation said.

Investigators also said Chaudhary changed his appearance after reaching the fort. "He climbed the fort wearing a hoodie. Later, he removed it and remained in a black T-shirt. While leaving, he put on the hoodie again," an official said, adding that investigators believe it was done to avoid attracting attention.

Earlier on Sunday, police took Goyal to Lohagad Fort to reconstruct the crime scene and used a dummy to recreate the moment her fiance was pushed to his death. The exercise was aimed at establishing the exact chain of events of the June 18 incident, an official said.

The official said the alleged crime involved meticulous planning and that both accused had admitted they had earlier visited the fort to identify a suitable spot and to do some "practice". "We are yet to ascertain which other spot they had practised at," he said.

Police said the custody of both accused ends on Monday and they will be produced before a court, with investigators set to seek further remand. On Saturday, police also questioned Goyal's father, mother and brother at length and recorded their statements, as the probe continued into Agarwal's killing.

- Ends