Not mentally prepared for marriage: Siya's new motive emerges in Pune murder case

The initial police probe found that Ketan Agarwal's fiancee, Siya Goyal, was allegedly not mentally prepared for marriage and was under family pressure to go ahead with the wedding. Investigators allege she later conspired with her alleged lover to kill Ketan and pass off his death as an accident.

In Short

• Ketan Agarwal died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort
• Police shifted from accident theory after spotting inconsistencies in Siya's account
• Investigators say digital evidence showed Siya's growing contact with Chetan

The murder investigation into Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal has taken a new turn, with police now suspecting that his fiance, Siya Goyal, was reluctant to marry him and was under pressure from her family to go ahead with the wedding.

"The accused was apparently not mentally prepared for marriage and was under pressure from her family to accept the proposal," a senior police officer told ANI as investigators continued to probe the circumstances surrounding Ketan's death.

Ketan died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. Police now allege that he was pushed off the cliff as part of a conspiracy involving Siya and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary.

Both have been arrested and were remanded to police custody until June 29.

FROM TREKKING ACCIDENT TO MURDER PROBE

Ketan, the director and Chief Marketing Officer of his family-run real estate business, Success Group, had gone to Lohagad Fort with Siya to celebrate her birthday.

The couple were due to marry in November. According to police, the families had booked a palace in Rajasthan worth several crore for the wedding and arranged two private aircraft to fly guests.

Initially, Siya told police that Ketan had slipped while taking photographs near the edge of the fort amid strong winds. An accidental death report was registered and a rescue team recovered his body after a three-hour operation.

However, investigators later found inconsistencies in the account.

"It was initially believed to be a case of an accidental fall, but the investigation pointed to a murder conspiracy," police said.

Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said officers examined multiple angles, including financial disputes and personal relationships.

"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," Gill said.

RELATIONSHIP WITH CHETAN UNDER SCANNER

According to investigators, Siya met Chetan Chaudhary at a Diwali party last year and the two remained in contact over the following months.

Police believe she was unwilling to marry Ketan and increasingly saw him as an obstacle to her relationship with Chaudhary.

Questioning of the accused, digital evidence and other material gathered during the investigation allegedly point towards a growing relationship between the two and discussions about removing Ketan from the picture.

The investigation found that Siya wanted more time for herself and was reluctant to proceed with the marriage despite pressure from family members, police sources said.

POLICE SUSPECT EARLIER ATTEMPT ON JUNE 14

Investigators are also examining whether there was an earlier attempt to kill Ketan four days before his death.

According to police, Siya and Ketan visited Lohagad Fort on June 14 and went to the same location from where he later fell to his death.

Ketan's father, Vishal Agarwal, alleged that his son narrowly escaped after being pushed towards the edge.

"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," he said.

Police are also probing whether Siya first considered killing Ketan during a visit to the fort on May 31 after noticing him sitting near a vulnerable edge.

"We are probing whether there was a pattern and whether the incidents were part of a larger plan. Every aspect is being verified through technical and forensic evidence," another police officer told ANI.

ALLEGED CONSPIRACY AT LOHAGAD FORT

Police claim Siya and Chaudhary eventually put their plan into action on June 18.

According to investigators, Chaudhary reached Lohagad Fort before the couple arrived and later followed them to a relatively isolated location.

"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," Gill said.

Police also allege that before the fatal trek, Siya and Chaudhary met at a cafe and discussed carrying out the plan at Lohagad Fort.

The duo allegedly pushed Ketan into a gorge nearly 400 feet deep before trying to pass off the death as an accident.

Based on suspicion, the local crime branch detained Chaudhary. During interrogation, investigators said details of the alleged conspiracy emerged, leading to Siya's arrest.

FATHER LINKS CANCELLED BALI TRIP TO PLOT

Ketan's father has also alleged that Siya 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 and all four passports were being carried 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," Vishal Agrawal claimed.

He alleged that the missing passport was not an accident and questioned whether it formed part of a larger plan.

"After the trip to Bali was cancelled, Siya fought with Ketan and insisted that they go to Lohagad," he said.

'SHE SHOWED NO REACTION'

Vishal Agarwal also claimed that Siya's behaviour after his son's death raised suspicions.

"When the police came with my son's body, Siya did not show any reaction. There was no sadness on her face," he said.

He further alleged that the Goyal family knew about the conspiracy from the beginning and may have played a role in it.

Police have not confirmed those allegations and the investigation is continuing.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Following a complaint by Ketan's father, Lonavala Rural Police registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police are continuing to collect forensic evidence, examine digital records and establish the precise sequence of events leading up to Ketan's death.

Investigators are also looking into whether any other people were involved in the alleged conspiracy.

The accused allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial scrutiny.

- Ends
With inputs from agencies.