Police have arrested Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary for allegedly pushing Ketan Agarwal off a cliff at Lohagad Fort. Investigators say the killing was plotted over weeks to look like an accident and stop Goyal’s marriage.
Police have arrested 20-year-old Siya Goyal and her alleged lover, 22-year-old Chetan Chaudhary, in connection with the June 18 death of 26-year-old realtor Ketan Agarwal, who was allegedly pushed off a cliff at Lohagad Fort near Pune. Investigators said the two had first discussed injuring Agarwal to delay his upcoming marriage to Goyal, but later decided to kill him.
According to police, the urgency grew because Goyal and Agarwal were due to travel to Bali in early June. The accused allegedly wanted Agarwal’s death to look like an accident, and discussed several possible ways to do this before deciding that pushing him off a cliff would be the best option.
A police officer said the second stage of the plan involved looking for a suitable location. The two allegedly visited and assessed several high-altitude spots, including Tiger Point in Lonavala and Visapur Fort, before settling on Lohagad Fort. “The accused had explored multiple locations, including Tiger Point, Visapur Fort and a few other forts in the region, before settling on Lohagad Fort. They exchanged photographs of these places and assessed which location would best suit their objective of making the death appear accidental while leaving behind no evidence,” the official said.
Investigators said the conspiracy developed over several weeks through repeated discussions, reconnaissance visits and online searches. Police said Goyal and Chaudhary saw Agarwal as an obstacle in their relationship and were worried about what would happen after her marriage. “Goyal didn’t want to elope as she didn’t wish to bring disrepute to her family or embarrass Agarwal’s family. They initially looked for ways to prevent the marriage from taking place,” the officer said. He added that the pair initially discussed causing injuries to Agarwal in an apparent accident so that the wedding would be postponed, but dropped that idea. Police also said no contract killing angle has emerged so far.
Police said the Bali trip made them move faster. “Goyal and Agarwal were scheduled to spend eight days together in Bali after flying out on June 6. When they realised that the idea to harm Agarwal somehow was not feasible, they decided to execute the plan themselves. They feared that if Agarwal survived and got wind of their conspiracy, he would expose them. That is when they allegedly decided to eliminate him,” the officer said. Investigators said the two watched suspense films, searched the internet and discussed different methods before deciding that pushing him off a cliff would most closely resemble an accident.
According to police, Goyal had already visited Lohagad Fort with Agarwal on May 31 in what investigators believe was a reconnaissance trip. “The visit appears to have been a reconnaissance exercise. The primary purpose was to identify a suitable spot from where the victim could be pushed. Had an opportunity presented itself that day, she might have attempted to kill him. Chaudhary deliberately stayed away during that visit to minimise risk,” the officer said. Police suspect Goyal later tried to persuade Agarwal to return to the fort on June 3, but his family discouraged the trip as the couple was due to travel to Bali. Investigators also said Goyal allegedly stole Agarwal’s passport during a trip to Mumbai, leading to the cancellation of the foreign visit.