Siya Goyal, boyfriend planned fiance's murder at Pune cafe day before killing him: Police
CCTV footage shows Siya Goyal and her boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary at a Pune cafe a day before Ketan Agarwal's death. Police allege the duo discussed the murder plan and used YouTube videos to study Lohagad Fort before carrying out the conspiracy.
A coffee date between Siya Goyal and her boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary in Pune on June 17 is where the plot to murder her 25-year-old businessman-fiance Ketan Agarwal was allegedly hatched. It took place a day before Agarwal was pushed into a gorge at Lohagad Fort in Pune, according to the police.
According to the initial probe, the duo discussed and planned the murder while sitting at the cafe. Police said Siya had shared information about Lohagad Fort with Chetan and discussed the location with him using YouTube videos.
CCTV footage accessed by India Today shows the pair entering the cafe at around 4:35 pm and leaving at approximately 5:30 pm.
Ketan Agarwal, the director and Chief Marketing Officer of his family-run real estate firm, Success Group, died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18 while on a trek with his fiancee, Siya Goyal.
The couple had got engaged earlier this year and were due to marry in November. According to police, both families had planned an elaborate wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
FROM ACCIDENTAL DEATH TO MURDER PROBE
Soon after the incident, Siya told police that Ketan had slipped while the couple were taking photographs near the edge of the fort amid strong winds. An accidental death report was registered, and rescue teams recovered his body after a three-hour operation.
However, police say the case did not turn into a murder probe overnight. They claim a series of inconsistencies, CCTV footage, digital evidence and findings that emerged during the investigation gradually shifted the focus from an accidental death to a suspected murder.
They continued analysing CCTV footage, digital records and witness accounts from the outset, despite Ketan's family initially expressing no suspicion and requesting that police avoid creating unnecessary controversy around the death.
THE FIRST BREAK IN THE CASE
According to police, the case began to turn after inconsistencies emerged in Siya's account of the day and investigators later found CCTV footage showing a hooded man near the couple on the trail at Lohagad Fort. Police said the footage, along with mobile location data, call detail records and travel patterns, became central to what they describe as a premeditated conspiracy.
Police said the first major break came when Siya changed her version of events. She initially told police that Ketan had slipped while the couple were taking photographs near the edge of the fort.
Later, during questioning, police said she gave a different account, saying the couple had stopped to rest after climbing the fort, Ketan had asked for water and slipped while handing her the bottle. According to police, these conflicting versions led investigators to examine the sequence of events more closely.
Another detail that raised suspicion was the absence of any photographs from Lohagad Fort on Ketan's mobile phone, despite Siya's claim that they had been taking pictures. Officials also said the spot where Ketan fell was relatively isolated and not commonly used by trekkers to rest, which further deepened doubts about her account.
As police reviewed CCTV footage from Lohagad Fort and nearby areas, they spotted a man in a hoodie walking along the trail near Ketan and Siya. According to police, Siya was seen repeatedly looking back towards him and, at one point, making a hand gesture, to which the man appeared to respond.
HOW POLICE PIECED TOGETHER THE CASE
Police later analysed call detail records, mobile location data and travel patterns before identifying the hooded man as Chetan Choudhary. According to police, the CCTV footage became one of the most important pieces of evidence in the case and led investigators to study Choudhary's movements in greater detail.
Officials said Choudhary reached Lohagad Fort before Ketan and Siya arrived and left after spending only about 48 minutes there. Police believe the brief visit suggested he had gone to the fort for a specific purpose rather than for recreation. Investigators said this timeline, when viewed with CCTV footage, mobile location data and call records, became an important part of the conspiracy.
The inquiry gained further momentum after Choudhary was taken into custody by the Local Crime Branch and questioned. According to police, details that emerged during interrogation, when examined alongside CCTV footage, mobile location data, call records and other digital evidence, helped them piece together what they described as a premeditated conspiracy.
Police have also claimed that the accused confessed to their roles during questioning. However, officials said they did not rely on those statements alone and continued to corroborate them with CCTV footage, forensic findings, digital records and other technical evidence before making the arrests.
Police said the investigation moved forward through a combination of changing statements, missing photographic evidence, CCTV footage and digital records. With Siya Goyal and Chetan Choudhary now under arrest, investigators are continuing to examine the material collected in the case to determine the exact chain of events leading to Ketan's death.
A coffee date between Siya Goyal and her boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary in Pune on June 17 is where the plot to murder her 25-year-old businessman-fiance Ketan Agarwal was allegedly hatched. It took place a day before Agarwal was pushed into a gorge at Lohagad Fort in Pune, according to the police.
According to the initial probe, the duo discussed and planned the murder while sitting at the cafe. Police said Siya had shared information about Lohagad Fort with Chetan and discussed the location with him using YouTube videos.
CCTV footage accessed by India Today shows the pair entering the cafe at around 4:35 pm and leaving at approximately 5:30 pm.
Ketan Agarwal, the director and Chief Marketing Officer of his family-run real estate firm, Success Group, died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18 while on a trek with his fiancee, Siya Goyal.
The couple had got engaged earlier this year and were due to marry in November. According to police, both families had planned an elaborate wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
FROM ACCIDENTAL DEATH TO MURDER PROBE
Soon after the incident, Siya told police that Ketan had slipped while the couple were taking photographs near the edge of the fort amid strong winds. An accidental death report was registered, and rescue teams recovered his body after a three-hour operation.
However, police say the case did not turn into a murder probe overnight. They claim a series of inconsistencies, CCTV footage, digital evidence and findings that emerged during the investigation gradually shifted the focus from an accidental death to a suspected murder.
They continued analysing CCTV footage, digital records and witness accounts from the outset, despite Ketan's family initially expressing no suspicion and requesting that police avoid creating unnecessary controversy around the death.
THE FIRST BREAK IN THE CASE
According to police, the case began to turn after inconsistencies emerged in Siya's account of the day and investigators later found CCTV footage showing a hooded man near the couple on the trail at Lohagad Fort. Police said the footage, along with mobile location data, call detail records and travel patterns, became central to what they describe as a premeditated conspiracy.
Police said the first major break came when Siya changed her version of events. She initially told police that Ketan had slipped while the couple were taking photographs near the edge of the fort.
Later, during questioning, police said she gave a different account, saying the couple had stopped to rest after climbing the fort, Ketan had asked for water and slipped while handing her the bottle. According to police, these conflicting versions led investigators to examine the sequence of events more closely.
Another detail that raised suspicion was the absence of any photographs from Lohagad Fort on Ketan's mobile phone, despite Siya's claim that they had been taking pictures. Officials also said the spot where Ketan fell was relatively isolated and not commonly used by trekkers to rest, which further deepened doubts about her account.
As police reviewed CCTV footage from Lohagad Fort and nearby areas, they spotted a man in a hoodie walking along the trail near Ketan and Siya. According to police, Siya was seen repeatedly looking back towards him and, at one point, making a hand gesture, to which the man appeared to respond.
HOW POLICE PIECED TOGETHER THE CASE
Police later analysed call detail records, mobile location data and travel patterns before identifying the hooded man as Chetan Choudhary. According to police, the CCTV footage became one of the most important pieces of evidence in the case and led investigators to study Choudhary's movements in greater detail.
Officials said Choudhary reached Lohagad Fort before Ketan and Siya arrived and left after spending only about 48 minutes there. Police believe the brief visit suggested he had gone to the fort for a specific purpose rather than for recreation. Investigators said this timeline, when viewed with CCTV footage, mobile location data and call records, became an important part of the conspiracy.
The inquiry gained further momentum after Choudhary was taken into custody by the Local Crime Branch and questioned. According to police, details that emerged during interrogation, when examined alongside CCTV footage, mobile location data, call records and other digital evidence, helped them piece together what they described as a premeditated conspiracy.
Police have also claimed that the accused confessed to their roles during questioning. However, officials said they did not rely on those statements alone and continued to corroborate them with CCTV footage, forensic findings, digital records and other technical evidence before making the arrests.
Police said the investigation moved forward through a combination of changing statements, missing photographic evidence, CCTV footage and digital records. With Siya Goyal and Chetan Choudhary now under arrest, investigators are continuing to examine the material collected in the case to determine the exact chain of events leading to Ketan's death.
