Pune fort murder plan began weeks earlier with stolen passport, cancelled Bali trip
Police allege Siya Goyal stole and misplaced fiance Ketan Agrawal's passport before a Bali trip. Investigators now see the incident as an early step in the murder conspiracy case.
A missing passport that forced the cancellation of a pre-wedding trip to Bali weeks before businessman Ketan Agrawal's death is now being treated by investigators as a crucial piece of an alleged murder conspiracy that has stunned Maharashtra.
According to Pune Rural Police, Ketan's fiancee, Siya Goyal, allegedly stole and destroyed his passport, preventing him from travelling abroad with her. Investigators believe the episode was not an isolated act but part of a wider plot that ultimately ended with the 26-year-old's death at Lohagad Fort.
PASSPORT DISAPPEARED BEFORE BALI TRIP
Ketan and Siya, who got engaged in February, were scheduled to travel to Bali on June 6 for a pre-wedding photoshoot. Four people were travelling together, but the trip was abruptly cancelled when Ketan discovered that his passport was missing after reaching Mumbai airport.
Ketan's father, Vishal Agrawal, said the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the document appeared suspicious.
"They were supposed to go from Mumbai to Bali, Indonesia, on June 6 for a pre-wedding shoot. While leaving home, only four people were in the car. Everyone checked their passports while sitting in the car, and all the passports, currency, credit cards, driving licences, etc., were kept in a single pouch. That pouch was in the car itself," he said.
"After arriving at the airport, everyone had their passports except Ketan. Only Ketan's passport got stolen. Because of that, he couldn't go and had to return from the airport," he added.
Police sources say the investigation later revealed that Siya allegedly took Ketan's passport, tore it up and disposed of it in the washroom of a hotel where the group had stopped for breakfast before heading to the airport.
POLICE SUSPECT MURDER PLOT BEGAN WEEKS EARLIER
Investigators allege that Siya was in a relationship with Chetan Babulal Choudhary and no longer wanted to marry Ketan. According to the police, the pair viewed him as an obstacle and began planning his murder weeks before his death.
The probe has uncovered what police describe as multiple attempts to kill Ketan before June 18.
According to investigators, during a visit to Lohagad Fort on June 14, Siya allegedly tried to push him into a valley after creating panic by warning him about a snake nearby. Ketan survived the alleged attempt.
Police claim Siya, accompanied by Chetan this time, tried again four days later.
FROM ACCIDENT THEORY TO MURDER CASE
On June 18, Ketan returned to Lohagad Fort after allegedly being persuaded by Siya. Investigators say Chetan arrived separately on a motorcycle and later joined the group.
Police allege that Siya and Chetan attacked Ketan and pushed him into a deep gorge, leading to his death.
Ketan, a resident of Gahunje in Pune district and a director at a real estate firm, was later found dead in a gorge near the fort.
The police initially believed the death was accidental. Officers said Ketan had fallen nearly 400 feet into the valley while taking photographs during a trek amid strong winds.
An accidental death report was registered after Siya told police that Ketan had slipped and fallen.
The case, however, took a dramatic turn during the investigation, leading to the arrest of Siya Goyal and Chetan Choudhary. Both have been booked for murder and criminal conspiracy.
FAMILY SAYS SIYA'S BEHAVIOUR RAISED QUESTIONS
Vishal Agrawal said the family initially accepted the accident theory. However, he claimed Siya's conduct after Ketan's death raised doubts.
"We also thought it was an accident. But when the police came with his body, Siya didn't show any reaction. When a woman's fiance or husband dies, she feels sad, but there was no such sadness in her behaviour. This was the first thing that bothered us, but since we had to go to the hospital, we didn't pay much attention to it," he said.
The father also revealed that the couple's wedding had been scheduled for November at a palace in Rajasthan.
"My son's engagement with this girl took place in February. Since it was Siya's birthday on the 19th, she insisted and fought with him to have a pre-birthday celebration on the 18th and took him to Lohagad Fort," he said.
According to him, Ketan left home at 8.20 am on June 18. Around 10.45 am, the family received a call from Siya's mother informing them that he had fallen into the valley.
FAMILY QUESTIONS ROLE OF OTHERS
Asked whether there had been pressure on the couple to marry, Vishal Agrawal said the alliance had been arranged with the consent of both families and that his family was unaware of any alleged relationship involving Siya.
"It was an arranged marriage. It was decided with the consent of both families. None of us on my son's side knew about it. But today we are realising the girl's behaviour, her relationships... and I feel that she is not alone, there are many others. All of this was known to her entire family. Despite knowing, they deliberately made a plan to trap us by marrying her to him, thinking that all of this would stop," he said.
For Ketan's family, the missing passport now appears to have been an early warning sign that went unnoticed.
"If she didn't want to get married, she could have simply refused. Why did they decide to take such a drastic step?" the grieving father asked.
Police are continuing their investigation and are examining whether any other people were aware of, or involved in, the alleged conspiracy.
A missing passport that forced the cancellation of a pre-wedding trip to Bali weeks before businessman Ketan Agrawal's death is now being treated by investigators as a crucial piece of an alleged murder conspiracy that has stunned Maharashtra.
According to Pune Rural Police, Ketan's fiancee, Siya Goyal, allegedly stole and destroyed his passport, preventing him from travelling abroad with her. Investigators believe the episode was not an isolated act but part of a wider plot that ultimately ended with the 26-year-old's death at Lohagad Fort.
PASSPORT DISAPPEARED BEFORE BALI TRIP
Ketan and Siya, who got engaged in February, were scheduled to travel to Bali on June 6 for a pre-wedding photoshoot. Four people were travelling together, but the trip was abruptly cancelled when Ketan discovered that his passport was missing after reaching Mumbai airport.
Ketan's father, Vishal Agrawal, said the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the document appeared suspicious.
"They were supposed to go from Mumbai to Bali, Indonesia, on June 6 for a pre-wedding shoot. While leaving home, only four people were in the car. Everyone checked their passports while sitting in the car, and all the passports, currency, credit cards, driving licences, etc., were kept in a single pouch. That pouch was in the car itself," he said.
"After arriving at the airport, everyone had their passports except Ketan. Only Ketan's passport got stolen. Because of that, he couldn't go and had to return from the airport," he added.
Police sources say the investigation later revealed that Siya allegedly took Ketan's passport, tore it up and disposed of it in the washroom of a hotel where the group had stopped for breakfast before heading to the airport.
POLICE SUSPECT MURDER PLOT BEGAN WEEKS EARLIER
Investigators allege that Siya was in a relationship with Chetan Babulal Choudhary and no longer wanted to marry Ketan. According to the police, the pair viewed him as an obstacle and began planning his murder weeks before his death.
The probe has uncovered what police describe as multiple attempts to kill Ketan before June 18.
According to investigators, during a visit to Lohagad Fort on June 14, Siya allegedly tried to push him into a valley after creating panic by warning him about a snake nearby. Ketan survived the alleged attempt.
Police claim Siya, accompanied by Chetan this time, tried again four days later.
FROM ACCIDENT THEORY TO MURDER CASE
On June 18, Ketan returned to Lohagad Fort after allegedly being persuaded by Siya. Investigators say Chetan arrived separately on a motorcycle and later joined the group.
Police allege that Siya and Chetan attacked Ketan and pushed him into a deep gorge, leading to his death.
Ketan, a resident of Gahunje in Pune district and a director at a real estate firm, was later found dead in a gorge near the fort.
The police initially believed the death was accidental. Officers said Ketan had fallen nearly 400 feet into the valley while taking photographs during a trek amid strong winds.
An accidental death report was registered after Siya told police that Ketan had slipped and fallen.
The case, however, took a dramatic turn during the investigation, leading to the arrest of Siya Goyal and Chetan Choudhary. Both have been booked for murder and criminal conspiracy.
FAMILY SAYS SIYA'S BEHAVIOUR RAISED QUESTIONS
Vishal Agrawal said the family initially accepted the accident theory. However, he claimed Siya's conduct after Ketan's death raised doubts.
"We also thought it was an accident. But when the police came with his body, Siya didn't show any reaction. When a woman's fiance or husband dies, she feels sad, but there was no such sadness in her behaviour. This was the first thing that bothered us, but since we had to go to the hospital, we didn't pay much attention to it," he said.
The father also revealed that the couple's wedding had been scheduled for November at a palace in Rajasthan.
"My son's engagement with this girl took place in February. Since it was Siya's birthday on the 19th, she insisted and fought with him to have a pre-birthday celebration on the 18th and took him to Lohagad Fort," he said.
According to him, Ketan left home at 8.20 am on June 18. Around 10.45 am, the family received a call from Siya's mother informing them that he had fallen into the valley.
FAMILY QUESTIONS ROLE OF OTHERS
Asked whether there had been pressure on the couple to marry, Vishal Agrawal said the alliance had been arranged with the consent of both families and that his family was unaware of any alleged relationship involving Siya.
"It was an arranged marriage. It was decided with the consent of both families. None of us on my son's side knew about it. But today we are realising the girl's behaviour, her relationships... and I feel that she is not alone, there are many others. All of this was known to her entire family. Despite knowing, they deliberately made a plan to trap us by marrying her to him, thinking that all of this would stop," he said.
For Ketan's family, the missing passport now appears to have been an early warning sign that went unnoticed.
"If she didn't want to get married, she could have simply refused. Why did they decide to take such a drastic step?" the grieving father asked.
Police are continuing their investigation and are examining whether any other people were aware of, or involved in, the alleged conspiracy.
