As investigators pieced together the events leading to Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal’s death, one question kept surfacing: If Siya Goyal wanted to be with another man, why didn’t she simply call off the wedding?
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Police now claim they have an answer.
During questioning, Chetan Chaudhary allegedly told investigators that eloping was discussed but rejected because Siya believed it would tarnish her family’s reputation. Instead, police allege, the couple decided to remove Ketan from the picture altogether.
“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,” a police official told news agency PTI.
The case, which was initially registered as an accidental fall during a trek, has since transformed into a murder investigation, with police accusing Siya, 20, and her alleged boyfriend Chetan, 22, of conspiring to kill the 25-year-old businessman weeks before their planned wedding.
Police claim searches and calls point to planning
Investigators believe the alleged conspiracy was neither impulsive nor confined to the day of the incident.
According to Pune Rural Police, forensic examination of the accused’s mobile phones revealed internet searches related to ways of killing Ketan. Officials say the digital trail, along with call records and location data, suggests the murder was planned well in advance.
Police also analysed the couple’s call detail records and found that Siya and Chetan allegedly spoke 2,004 times between January 1 and June 18. The conversations totalled around 238 hours, averaging eight to ten phone calls every day over nearly six months.
Investigators said the communication did not stop after Ketan’s death. Calls and messages exchanged between the two after the incident are also being examined as part of the probe.
A hidden relationship?
Police say Siya and Ketan’s engagement was arranged by their families in February, with their wedding scheduled for November.
According to investigators, Siya had already been in a relationship with Chetan for more than a year. During interrogation, she allegedly told police that she wanted to end the engagement, but Ketan wished to go ahead with the marriage.
Officers claim that despite this, she was unwilling to break off the alliance publicly or run away with Chetan because she feared the social consequences for her family.
That, investigators allege, became the motive behind the conspiracy.
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Birthday trek allegedly became the final plan
Police say Siya persuaded Ketan to take her to Lohagad Fort on June 18 as an early birthday outing, since she was turning 20 the next day.
Around 10.45 am, Ketan’s family received a call informing them that he had slipped into a gorge while taking photographs.
Investigators now allege that the fall was staged. According to police, Chetan had reached the fort earlier, followed the couple to a secluded spot and, together with Siya, pushed Ketan into the valley before making it appear to be an accident.
Family’s suspicions changed the investigation
The case may have ended as an accidental death had Ketan’s family not questioned the circumstances surrounding it.
His father, Vishal Agarwal, said the family became suspicious after noticing Siya’s conduct following the incident.
“We were devastated, but Siya appeared unusually calm. My daughter was the first to notice it,” he told HT.
According to the family, while relatives were grieving, Siya was interacting with police officers at the spot and asking about procedural formalities. These observations prompted the family to urge police to examine the case more closely.
Investigators then began analysing digital evidence, eventually uncovering the alleged relationship between Siya and Chetan.
Technical evidence raised more questions
Police say Chetan also took steps to avoid leaving a digital trail on the day of the alleged murder.
According to investigators, his mobile internet remained switched off from around 7 am until 5.40 pm on June 18. Instead of carrying his own phone, police allege he left it at his family’s shop and travelled with one belonging to an employee, making it harder to track his movements.
The investigation also found that callers trying to reach Chetan on his phone that day were answered by employees at the shop, further strengthening police suspicions.
Earlier in the probe, CCTV footage had captured a hooded man following Ketan and Siya at the fort despite temperatures touching 33 degrees Celsius. Investigators later identified the man as Chetan.
Probe continues
Police have arrested both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary and booked them under Sections 103 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, dealing with murder and criminal conspiracy.
Chetan’s family, however, has denied the allegations. His father, Babulal Chaudhary, claimed his son had been falsely implicated and maintained that Chetan had stayed away from the couple at the fort.
Investigators, meanwhile, say they are continuing to analyse forensic evidence, digital communications and witness statements as the high-profile case unfolds.
