Siya Goyal, accused in the death of her fiancé Ketan Agarwal, allegedly wanted to call off their engagement, but Ketan continued to pursue the relationship despite her objections, the investigation has revealed.
During questioning, Siya told Pune Rural Police that she had informed Ketan she did not wish to continue the relationship and had urged him not to proceed with the planned marriage, according to Hindustan Times.
However, she claimed that Ketan continued to pursue the relationship and remained committed to the wedding preparations despite her objections.
Fort staffer's account
A police official posted at Lohagad Fort, identified as Rahul, said Siya's screams after the incident on June 18 alerted the authorities. When officials reached the spot, the 20-year-old allegedly told them that Ketan had fallen off the cliff while they were clicking photographs.
Rahul further claimed that although Siya appeared to be in a state of panic, there were no tears in her eyes, according to a report by News18 Marathi.
Investigation and CCTV evidence
According to investigators, the alleged motive behind the crime was Siya's relationship with co-accused Chetan Chaudhary and her reluctance to go ahead with her planned marriage to Ketan.
A major breakthrough came after police analysed CCTV footage from the fort area. Investigators spotted a man wearing a hoodie despite the scorching heat, allegedly following Ketan and Siya shortly before the incident. The unusual attire raised suspicion, and after analysing CCTV footage and social media photographs, police identified the man as Chetan Chaudhary.
Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary questioned together
According to IANS, Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, accused in Ketan Agarwal's alleged murder, were questioned together after police made them sit face-to-face during interrogation.
The two accused, who have been remanded to seven-day police custody, were questioned until late Tuesday night, according to NDTV.
What was initially believed to be an accidental death later turned into an alleged murder investigation, with police claiming the crime was planned by Goyal and her alleged lover, Chaudhary.
Pune Police have also detained a man identified as Neeraj Kumar, who worked at Chaudhary's shop, for questioning over his alleged links to the case.
According to police sources, Chaudhary allegedly took Kumar's mobile phone to Lohagad Fort on June 18, the day of the incident. Investigators suspect he may have used Kumar's phone to contact Goyal multiple times.
Kumar had reportedly been working with Chaudhary for the past three years.
Family reactions
Meanwhile, Chaudhary's father, Babulal Chaudhary, has defended his son, claiming he has been falsely implicated by co-accused Siya Goyal.
"We have never seen the girl in question and know absolutely nothing about her. In fact, I only found out about her name, Siya, yesterday. I have never seen her before. I saw her for the first time at the police station," he told reporters on Wednesday.
Earlier, Chaudhary's relative, Udaram Chaudhary, also maintained that he was innocent.
"As far as we know, Chetan is not involved in this matter at all. He is completely innocent. We don't know who Siya is; we got to know her name only from the media," he said.
On the other hand, Ketan Agarwal's father, Vishal Agarwal, said he has complete faith in the judiciary and hopes the guilty are punished.
"I have complete faith in the justice system. Whoever is involved in this, Siya Goyal, Chetan Chaudhary and others, should be punished severely and as soon as possible so that my child's soul can be at peace," he told IANS.
What police believe
Ketan Agarwal, the son of a prominent businessman from Maharashtra, got engaged to Siya Goyal in February this year. Their families were preparing for a lavish wedding in November, reportedly involving private jets and palace venues.
However, investigators now allege that while these preparations were underway, Siya had already developed a romantic relationship with Chetan Chaudhary after meeting him at a business event in 2025.
Police said Siya operated a bakery business, while Chaudhary was involved in the dry fruit trade.
According to investigators, Chaudhary viewed Ketan as an obstacle in his relationship with Siya. Police believe the two subsequently conspired to eliminate him.
The investigation into the case is continuing.
