He Planned A Wedding. Police Say She Planned His Death

Pune, June 30: A 26-year-old businessman believed he was planning the wedding of his dreams. Police now allege the woman he was going to marry had been planning his death instead.

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On the morning of June 18, the stone pathways leading to Lohagad Fort were crowded with trekkers enjoying the monsoon breeze. Among them was 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal, a Pune-based real estate entrepreneur, climbing the historic fort with his fiancée, 20-year-old Siya Goyal, to celebrate her birthday.

By evening, Ketan lay dead at the bottom of a 400-foot gorge.

At first, it appeared to be another tragic trekking accident. His fiancée told his family that he had slipped while walking near the edge of the fort. Police registered an accidental death.

But over the days that followed, investigators began uncovering clues that would dramatically change the direction of the case. CCTV footage, phone records, family statements, deleted digital evidence, a mysterious hooded man and alleged earlier attempts to kill Ketan together, police say, exposed what they believe was a carefully orchestrated conspiracy that had been unfolding for months.

Today, Siya Goyal and her alleged boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary, stand accused of murdering Ketan. Both deny wrongdoing, and the investigation is ongoing.

This is how police say the case unfolded.

Fairytale Engagement

Ketan Agarwal was the director and chief marketing officer of Success Group, his family’s real estate business in Pune district. Having completed an MS in Entrepreneurship, he was preparing for the next chapter of his life.

In February, he became engaged to Siya Goyal. Their families planned an extravagant destination wedding in Udaipur for November. A palace had reportedly been booked, and preparations were already underway.

To everyone around him, Ketan appeared to be building a future. Police now allege that behind the celebrations, Siya was leading an entirely different life.

Birthday Trek Turns Fatal

On June 18, Siya asked Ketan to accompany her to Lohagad Fort for her birthday. According to her initial account, the couple was trekking when Ketan accidentally slipped and plunged into the gorge.

The explanation appeared believable. Lohagad attracts thousands of visitors every year, and accidental falls are not unheard of.

For a brief period, that seemed to be the end of the story. It wasn’t.

Mystery Man Emerges

As investigators routinely examined CCTV footage from the fort’s ticket counter, something unusual caught their attention. The cameras showed Ketan and Siya entering together.

Moments later, another man appeared. He maintained a short distance behind the couple throughout the footage. His appearance immediately stood out.

“He was wearing shorts and a hoodie. The front part of the hoodie was pulled so low that his face could not be seen. Additionally, the man was wearing a headset over the hoodie. In another footage clip, we noticed Siya suddenly looking back and, at the same time, the man in the hoodie suddenly sitting down,” a police officer told PTI.

The clothing itself seemed suspicious. Police later checked weather records.

“We later checked the temperature of that particular time on June 18 and found out that it was 33 degrees Celsius and wondered why would anyone wear a hoodie in such heat.”

Investigators now had their first major lead.

Pattern Of Repeated Visits

As police questioned Ketan’s family, they discovered that the June 18 trek was not an isolated outing.

His uncle told investigators that Siya had previously expressed reservations about the marriage and had once suggested postponing the wedding by a year.

Family members also recalled that she had repeatedly insisted Ketan accompany her to Lohagad Fort.

“Siya had repeatedly persuaded Agarwal to accompany her to Lohagad Fort on multiple occasions before the fatal incident. On May 31, Siya had taken Ketan to Lohagad Fort. She again insisted that he go to Lohagad Fort on June 4. However, Ketan’s mother did not allow him to go there a second time.”

What initially appeared to be coincidence was beginning to resemble a pattern.

Prior Attempt Alleged

According to investigators, June 18 was not the first attempt to kill Ketan. Police allege that during another visit to Lohagad on June 14, Siya tried to push him off the cliff. Ketan survived only because he managed to grab a bush growing from the hillside.

Confused, he questioned what had happened.

Police say Siya immediately claimed there had been a snake nearby. Ketan accepted the explanation. Four days later, police say, he returned to the same fort.

Missing Passport Detail

Investigators also uncovered another curious detail. The couple had planned to travel to Bali for a pre-wedding photoshoot. The trip never happened. Police allege that Siya secretly removed Ketan’s passport from his bag during a journey from Pune to Mumbai and discarded it near Khalapur Food Mall because she did not want the trip to take place. The passport has still not been recovered.

Mourning Fiancée Post

Hours after Ketan’s death, Siya allegedly posted an emotional tribute on Instagram.

“You left me on your birthday. You left when we were so close to getting married. I still can’t understand why you did this to me. I had dreams, questions I’ll never get answers to. Why did you leave me when I loved you so much? Rest in peace.”

The story reportedly included videos of the couple together and the caption: “Mere dil ko pata hai ki tu yahi hai. Wapas aaja.”

To family and friends, it appeared to be the grief of a devastated fiancée. Investigators, however, were already examining a different narrative.

Digital Trail Breakthrough

The breakthrough came through technology. Police analysed Siya’s call detail records. The numbers startled investigators.

Between January 1 and June 18, police say Siya and Chetan Chaudhary exchanged nearly 2,000 phone calls, spending more than 238 hours speaking to each other.

“We found thousands of calls exchanged between the two over an extended period, including several conversations lasting for hours.”

Investigators then compared photographs from Chetan’s social media accounts with the hooded figure seen in the CCTV footage. The similarities prompted police to detain him.

According to the police, during interrogation, they connected all the dots, which revealed a premeditated conspiracy involving Siya and Chetan.

Alleged Long-Term Plan

Police now allege the conspiracy extended far beyond a single day at Lohagad. Investigators claim Siya intended to continue her relationship with Chetan despite her engagement to Ketan.

According to the police, the pair allegedly devised a three-year plan: remain engaged, use Ketan’s financial resources to establish Chetan’s business and cricket career, eliminate Ketan after sufficient time had passed, erase digital evidence, wait until public attention faded and then marry.

Investigators allege Siya persuaded Ketan to give her ₹1 crore for jewellery, clothing and wedding preparations but instead transferred the money to Chetan for business investment.

Police also claim the couple visited Udaipur before the engagement while simultaneously planning the wedding with Ketan’s family.

Avoiding Digital Footprints

Investigators say Chetan took deliberate steps to avoid detection on the day of the incident. According to the police, he left his own mobile phone at his Market Yard shop, carried an employee’s phone instead and entered Lohagad wearing a hoodie, mask and earphones without purchasing an entry ticket. Police believe these actions were intended to minimise his digital footprint.

They are continuing to analyse deleted electronic data recovered from the accused.

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Why Not End Engagement

During interrogation, police asked Chetan a question that has lingered throughout the investigation.

Why not simply end the engagement?

His alleged response was striking. According to him, Siya was not in favour of calling off the engagement and eloping with Chetan, as she thought doing so would bring disrespect to her family. That answer, if true, has become one of the most disturbing aspects of the case.

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Investigation Continues

Both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary have been arrested on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. A Pune court has extended their police custody till July 3, allowing investigators to recover deleted digital evidence, verify the reconstruction of the alleged crime, trace Ketan’s missing passport and examine new witnesses who have come forward.

Meanwhile, Lohagad Fort has acquired an unsettling new identity. According to a report by News18 Marathi, the fort has recorded nearly a 25 per cent increase in visitors since the case came to light. The location has informally come to be known as “Siya Point”. Tourists are said to be approaching security personnel and fellow travellers to identify the exact location where the incident occurred.

When No Was An Option

Every murder investigation ultimately revolves around a simple question: Why?

According to the prosecution, the answer lies in a relationship that Siya no longer wanted but allegedly chose not to end. If the allegations against the accused are ultimately proven in court, this was not a crime born of impulse or sudden rage. Investigators allege it involved repeated planning, multiple failed attempts, digital coordination and deception sustained over months. Yet, at its core, the case presents a stark reality: there was always another choice.

Engagements are broken. Weddings are cancelled. Families recover from disappointment, however painful it may be. Choosing to say “no” would have spared a young man’s life, prevented unimaginable grief for his family and avoided lives becoming entangled in criminal proceedings.

The courts will determine where the truth ultimately lies. But the investigation, as it stands today, tells the story of a future that could have been altered by a single honest decision instead of an alleged conspiracy ending in death.

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