A birthday trek to one of Maharashtra's most popular tourist spots has unravelled into a disturbing murder conspiracy involving a young businessman, his fiancée and her alleged lover. Police now claim that Ketan Agarwal's death at Lohagad Fort on June 18 was not an accidental fall but a carefully planned act carried out just months before the couple's lavish wedding ceremony.
The case has stunned many because of the high-profile wedding arrangements already underway and the alleged betrayal at the centre of the crime.
From accidental death to murder investigation
According to News 18, 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal and his fiancée, 20-year-old Siya Goyal, had travelled to Lohagad Fort near Lonavala on June 18 to celebrate her birthday.
At around 10.30 am, Siya informed authorities that Ketan had slipped while taking photographs and fallen into a deep gorge.
Initially treated as an accident, the case took a different turn after investigators examined technical evidence, witness accounts and intelligence inputs. Police now allege that Ketan was deliberately pushed off the cliff.
Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said investigators concluded that Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary had jointly orchestrated the murder.
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Police say wedding plans masked deeper tensions
According to News 18, Ketan and Siya got engaged in February and were scheduled to marry in November in an extravagant destination wedding in Udaipur.
According to reports, the families had already booked a luxury palace worth Rs 17 crore and arranged two private aircraft to ferry guests.
However, investigators say Siya was unwilling to go ahead with the marriage and had been in contact with Chetan Chaudhary for around a year.
Police believe their relationship eventually led to a conspiracy to eliminate Ketan before the wedding took place. Both Siya and Chetan have been arrested.
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An earlier murder attempt had allegedly failed
Police also claim this was not the first attempt on Ketan's life.
According to News 18, investigators suspect Siya had previously tried to kill him during another trek to Lohagad Fort on May 31, but the plan was unsuccessful.
Authorities are now reconstructing the timeline of both visits to establish how long the alleged conspiracy had been in motion.
The investigation remains ongoing, with police analysing digital records, communication history and other evidence to strengthen the case.
