Pune Trekker's Murder: Fiancée, Lover Accused in Lohagad Fort Death

What initially appeared to be a tragic trekking accident at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18, 2026, has unraveled into a chilling pre-planned murder, according to Pune Rural Police. The victim, 26-year-old Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal, was allegedly pushed into a 400-foot gorge by his fiancée, Siya Goyal, 20, and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, 22. Both accused were arrested on June 23, 2026, following an intensive police investigation. Police investigations revealed that Ketan Agarwal, a director in his family's real estate business, was engaged to Siya Goyal in February 2026, with a lavish wedding planned for November in Udaipur, Rajasthan. However, Siya was reportedly unwilling to marry Ketan and considered him an obstacle to her relationship with Chetan Chaudhary. She allegedly feared the social consequences and dishonor to her family if she called off the wedding. The conspiracy, as pieced together by the police, allegedly spanned several months. Siya and Chetan reportedly met at a Diwali party in 2025 and maintained extensive contact, exchanging over 2,000 phone calls and speaking for approximately 238 hours over six months. Their plot involved multiple attempts and meticulous planning to make Ketan's death appear accidental. One of the initial elements of their plan was to disrupt a pre-wedding trip to Bali scheduled for June 6, 2026. Siya allegedly stole Ketan's passport and later discarded it in a food mall washroom on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway to ensure the trip's cancellation. The duo also explored various methods to eliminate Ketan, including poisoning, and reportedly watched murder conspiracy movies for ideas on how to avoid getting caught. Before finalizing Lohagad Fort, Siya and Chetan allegedly scouted other locations, including Tiger Point in Lonavala and Visapur Fort. They also made multiple reconnaissance visits to Lohagad Fort itself. Police claim an initial attempt to kill Ketan was made at Lohagad Fort on June 14, just four days before his death. During this attempt, Siya allegedly tried to push him, but Ketan survived by grabbing onto a bush. Siya then reportedly fabricated a story about seeing a snake to explain the incident as an accidental slip. In the days leading up to the final act, Siya and Chetan allegedly rehearsed the murder in an open space near a lounge in Pune's Lulla Nagar. On the morning of June 18, Ketan and Siya traveled to Lohagad Fort. Chetan Chaudhary arrived separately on a scooter, reportedly to avoid detection at toll plazas, and wore a black hoodie despite the 33-degree Celsius heat to conceal his identity, a detail that later raised police suspicion. CCTV footage proved crucial in tracking Chetan's movements. At the fort's 'Ghost Point', Siya allegedly gave a pre-arranged signal to Chetan by sitting down, ostensibly to drink water or tie her shoelaces. As soon as she did, Chetan allegedly pushed an unsuspecting Ketan Agarwal off the cliff. After the fatal push, Siya raised an alarm, informed security guards, and contacted Ketan's family, claiming he had accidentally slipped and fallen. The family's suspicions, particularly those of Ketan's father Vishal Agarwal who visited the site, prompted a deeper investigation. The extensive call records between Siya and Chetan, including their use of an employee's mobile phone for communication, further cemented the police's case. An alleged Snapchat message from Siya, sent in May, indicating that the wedding was unlikely to proceed, also surfaced during the probe. On June 28 and 29, 2026, Pune Rural Police conducted a crime scene recreation exercise at Lohagad Fort, taking Siya Goyal to the spot and using a dummy to verify the sequence of events. Chetan Chaudhary was also expected to be taken separately. Both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary are currently in judicial custody. The investigation is ongoing, with police still trying to ascertain which of the two accused physically delivered the final push. The case has deeply impacted Ketan's family; his mother, Rakhi Agarwal, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking fast-track justice, and his grandfather, Devichand Agarwal, reportedly passed away weeks after Ketan's death due to a cardiac arrest, unable to bear the grief. Police also investigated claims of a secret marriage between Siya and Chetan at the Khatu Shyam Temple in Rajasthan, allegedly revealed through WhatsApp chats, but found no corroborating CCTV footage.

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