Pune: What was initially believed to be a tragic trekking accident at Maharashtra’s historic Lohagad Fort has now emerged as a chilling murder case, with Pune Rural Police arresting a young woman and her alleged partner for allegedly conspiring to kill her fiancé by pushing him into a deep gorge.
The victim, Ketan Agrawal, 25, a director in his family’s real estate business and a resident of Gahunje near Pune, died on June 18 after falling into a gorge estimated to be around 350 feet deep while trekking at Lohagad Fort near Lonavla. At first, the incident was treated as an accidental death after his fiancée, Siya Goyal, claimed that he had slipped while posing for a photograph.
However, a detailed investigation by Pune Rural Police uncovered evidence suggesting that Agrawal’s death was not accidental but the result of a carefully planned murder allegedly carried out by Goyal and her partner, Chetan Chaudhary, 22, a resident of Kondhwa.
According to Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, the accused have been arrested under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to murder and criminal conspiracy. Police investigations revealed that Agrawal and Goyal had become engaged in February this year and were expected to marry in the near future.
Officials said Goyal was unwilling to go ahead with the marriage and was allegedly involved in a relationship with Chaudhary. Investigators believe this relationship became the motive behind the murder plot.
Police said that on June 18, a day before Goyal’s birthday, she allegedly persuaded Agrawal to accompany her on a trek to Lohagad Fort. The couple left Gahunje in the morning and reached the fort’s foothills within an hour. Investigators later discovered that Chaudhary had already reached the location and was waiting for them.
According to the police, Chaudhary secretly followed the couple as they climbed the fort. When they reached a cliffside area, Goyal and Chaudhary allegedly pushed Agrawal into the gorge, leading to his death.
Following the incident, Goyal reportedly alerted family members, local authorities and rescue teams, maintaining that Agrawal had accidentally fallen while taking photographs. Rescue personnel eventually recovered his body, and an accidental death case was initially registered at the Lonavla Rural Police Station.
The investigation took a dramatic turn when Agrawal’s family expressed doubts about the accident theory. Family members reportedly told police that Agrawal was an experienced trekker and unlikely to have accidentally fallen under ordinary circumstances.
As investigators dug deeper, they discovered information indicating that Goyal was involved in another relationship. Police examined call records, mobile phone locations and CCTV footage from the fort area. One crucial lead emerged from surveillance footage showing a man wearing a hoodie despite the hot weather conditions.
The unusual clothing drew investigators’ attention. Further analysis of CCTV recordings allegedly identified the individual as Chaudhary. Police traced his movements across multiple locations on the fort, strengthening suspicions that he was present during the incident.
After being taken into custody and subjected to sustained questioning, both suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the crime, police said.
Adding another disturbing dimension to the case, investigators revealed that on June 19, just one day after Agrawal’s death and on her birthday, Goyal allegedly shared an emotional social media post featuring the deceased, attracting sympathy from relatives and friends while the murder remained undiscovered.
The shocking case has drawn widespread attention across Maharashtra, raising questions about betrayal, premeditated violence and the role of digital evidence in solving complex crimes. Police said further investigations are continuing to establish the full sequence of events and gather additional evidence for prosecution.
