Director Rahul Ravindran recently announced that he is deleting X (formerly Twitter) from his phone after receiving abusive messages and death threats targeting his children amid the controversy surrounding his film The Girlfriend. The backlash escalated after several social media users linked the film to the Pune murder case, in which 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal was allegedly pushed off a cliff at Lohagad Fort by his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her alleged boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary.
As the online debate intensified, Rahul and his family became targets of personal attacks on social media. On June 30, the director wrote, "I was sitting and watching the Brazil v Japan game. I wanted to check a football-related Twitter account about something, and I opened this app. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of checking my notifications too. And I came across this tweet. I wish I hadn't."
Describing his emotional reaction, Rahul added, "I kept staring at it for a long time. I kept filling up with rage. I wanted to track this guy down and do unspeakable things to him. The urge was very real. I was, involuntarily, vividly imagining scenarios in my head."
He further admitted that he struggled to calm himself after reading the post. He explained that his usual response to anger is to tell himself to calm down, but this time he did not want to. He recalled that his "head was very hot" and that he remained seated for a long time, staring at the game on the television without actually watching it. Gradually, his heart rate began to slow, eventually returning to some semblance of normalcy.
Rahul reflected, "Maybe I am overreacting. Maybe it's somehow my fault. Maybe my kids and I deserve this hate." However, he quickly rejected those thoughts and concluded that he was done with the app. He explained that he had wanted to leave it for a long time but had stayed because it was his best source of sports news, particularly coverage of Indian sports beyond cricket. What ultimately convinced him to leave, however, was how the abusive post had affected him.
I was sitting and watching the Brazil v Japan game. I wanted to check a football related Twitter account about something and I opened this app. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of checking my notifications too. And I came across this tweet. I wish I hadn’t.
— Rahul Ravindran (@23_rahulr) June 29, 2026
I kept staring at… pic.twitter.com/abRnWC58Y2
About the case
Fresh claims have emerged in the Ketan Agarwal murder case after the driver who took Ketan Agarwal, his fiancée Siya Goyal and their siblings to Mumbai International Airport for a planned Bali trip shared details of the journey with the media. His account has also fuelled fresh speculation over Ketan's missing passport.
Speaking to the media, driver Vaibhav Jadhav said he was hired through a travel agency to drive Siya Goyal, her brother Sahil, Ketan Agarwal and Ketan's sister Sanjana to Mumbai airport for their pre-wedding trip to Bali, Indonesia.
Jadhav said that after Ketan and his sister boarded the vehicle, they asked him to play music. The group later stopped at a food mall on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway for tea and refreshments.
According to Jadhav, while the others were inside the food mall, Siya returned alone to the vehicle. He claimed he saw her remove an item from a bag and place it in her pocket before walking away.
After dropping the four passengers at Mumbai airport, Jadhav said he received a phone call from Ketan, who told him that something had been left behind in the vehicle. He returned to the airport, where Ketan and Sahil searched the car using a mobile phone flashlight but could not find the missing item. Jadhav then left for another booking.
Based on Jadhav's statement, some media reports have speculated that Siya may have disposed of Ketan's passport at the food mall. However, police have not officially confirmed this claim.
Meanwhile, Siya Goyal's mother, Pooja Goyal, told the media that if her daughter is found guilty in the case, she should face the harshest punishment. She also said Siya was not interested in studies and used to bake and sell cakes from home.
The case has also brought the role of the matchmakers under scrutiny. Police sources said Narendra Mittal and Renu Mittal, who introduced the marriage proposal, have been questioned. Ketan's father has claimed the couple strongly supported the match despite allegedly being aware of several facts about Siya.
Another claim circulating in sections of the media is that Siya allegedly took Rs 1 crore from Ketan in the name of wedding shopping and handed the money to her alleged boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary. However, Siya's lawyers have denied having any information about the allegation and said no such matter has been presented before the court.
According to police sources quoted in media reports, Ketan and Siya got engaged in February and were scheduled to marry in November. Investigators believe Ketan had planned a birthday celebration and a stay at a luxury hotel in Mahabaleshwar for Siya's birthday on June 19.
Police suspect Siya wanted to avoid staying with Ketan and allegedly decided to kill him at Lohagad Fort a day earlier with the help of co-accused Chetan Chaudhary. The allegation remains part of the police investigation.
Defending the investigation, Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said the police studied the case for nearly 30 hours before registering a murder case. He said that although an accidental death was initially recorded, Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary were arrested only after investigators gathered what they described as strong evidence. Gill also rejected allegations that the arrests were made without sufficient proof.
