According to police officials familiar with the Ketan Agarwal murder probe, there are “uncanny similarities” between the two cases.
The murder investigation of Pune-based realtor Ketan Agarwal has taken a new turn, with police drawing parallels between the case and the high-profile Meghalaya honeymoon murder case involving businessman Raja Raghuvanshi.
The police conducting the investigation claimed that accused Siya Goyal and her alleged accomplice Chetan Chaudhary may have studied Sonam Raghuvanshi’s murder plan before carrying out the crime.
According to police officials familiar with the investigation, both cases show similarities as the victims were allegedly pushed from cliffs as part of the murder plans involving their partners. Investigators believe Siya and Chetan may have learnt from the mistakes made in the Raja Raghuvanshi case and prepared a more detailed plan with stronger alibis.
Police Say Siya Studied Sonam Case
Raja Raghuvanshi, an Indore-based businessman, was found dead in a gorge near a waterfall in Meghalaya’s Sohra area after he went missing during his honeymoon in 2025. His wife Sonam Raghuvanshi was later arrested on charges of conspiracy to murder him. Police alleged that she had planned the murder along with her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha and three hired killers.
In the Ketan Agarwal case, police allege that Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary killed Agarwal by pushing him into a gorge at Lohagad Fort in Pune district on June 18.
Speaking to NDTV, a police official familiar with the investigation said officers found evidence suggesting that Siya Goyal had researched the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case while allegedly planning Ketan Agarwal’s killing.
According to the official, the browsing history on a mobile phone seized from her showed that she had accessed news reports about the Meghalaya murder case. Investigators also found online searches related to whether women are beaten in police custody and the legal rights of female prisoners.
Officials believe Siya and Chetan made changes to the alleged plan after studying the earlier case. Police said both of them pushed Ketan together as part of the plan because Siya alone may not have been able to push him into the gorge.
Police Probe Alibis, Say Crime Was Driven By Multiple Factors
Police said the investigation involved examining multiple layers of alleged alibis before reaching a breakthrough. Officials told NDTV that sustained questioning helped them uncover details of the alleged conspiracy.
An officer familiar with the case described it as a “crime of desperation”, saying personal relationships, family pressure and other factors may have contributed to the alleged decision.
