Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal was allegedly murdered as part of a conspiracy hatched by his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, to avoid an arranged marriage, according to people familiar with the investigation.
An FIR lodged by Ketan’s father, Vishal Devichand Agarwal, alleges that Siya and Chetan pushed him off a cliff at Lohagad Fort. Investigators believe the plan was set in motion after Siya repeatedly insisted on visiting the fort following the cancellation of an earlier trip on June 4, which allegedly left her upset.
NDTV have shared a detailed timeline of how the alleged conspiracy unfolded on the day of the murder.
7 AM: Digital Trail Switched Off
According to the investigation, Chetan allegedly disabled mobile data on his phone early in the morning to avoid creating a location trail through cell tower records.
8 AM: Creating An Alibi
Investigators claim Chetan left his personal mobile phone at his shop and instructed employees to answer incoming calls, allegedly to create the impression that he had remained at work throughout the day.
Midday: Travelling In ‘Digital Stealth’
NDTV alleged that while travelling to Lohagad Fort, Chetan borrowed an employee’s mobile phone for essential communication, avoiding the use of his own handset.
2 PM: CCTV Captures Unusual Clothing
Police believe Chetan followed Ketan and Siya up the trekking trail while wearing a thick winter hoodie despite temperatures touching around 33°C, allegedly in an attempt to conceal his identity from CCTV cameras and bystanders.
2.30 PM: Alleged Signal Before The Attack
Investigators suspect that once the trio reached a secluded spot near the Vinchu Kata ridge, Siya allegedly sat down as a pre-arranged signal. Chetan is then accused of emerging from hiding and pushing Ketan nearly 400 feet into the gorge.
5.40 PM: Back Online After Hours
Sources said Chetan restored internet connectivity on his phone after remaining digitally offline for nearly 10 hours and 40 minutes, allegedly believing the absence of location data would strengthen his alibi.
Alibi Allegedly Falls Apart
According to investigators, the alleged cover-up unravelled after police flagged the unusually long period during which Chetan’s phone remained offline. CCTV footage reportedly captured him in the distinctive winter hoodie, while investigators also found that someone else had been answering calls made to his phone during the day.
Family Raised Suspicion After Death
On June 18, Ketan left his home, picked up Siya from Kiwale Bridge on the Pune-Mumbai Highway and headed to Lohagad Fort. At around 10.45 am, Siya allegedly called Ketan’s mother, claiming he had accidentally fallen into a gorge.
Local residents and police later recovered Ketan from the gorge and rushed him to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Three days later, on June 21, Ketan’s father and other family members visited the site along with his friends, Navdeep Jindal and Tarun Mittal. According to the FIR, they concluded that the terrain made an accidental fall highly unlikely.
The family also alleged that Siya’s phone remained constantly engaged after the incident and that she frequently referred to a “friend” named Chetan, leading them to suspect the two were involved in a romantic relationship.
Police are continuing their investigation into the case.
