The family of Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal had no idea that his fiancée, Siya Goyal, was allegedly involved in a relationship with another man before his death, according to Ketan’s father, Vishal Agarwal.
Speaking about the shocking case, Vishal Agarwal said the family had noticed certain unusual signs, including Siya’s phone frequently remaining busy for long periods, but never suspected that she was allegedly involved with another person.
Ketan, 26, and Siya, both from affluent business families in Maharashtra, got engaged in February and were preparing for a lavish wedding scheduled for November. However, the celebrations turned into tragedy when Ketan died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18.
Initially treated as an accidental death, the case took a dramatic turn after suspicions raised by Ketan’s sister prompted a deeper police investigation. Authorities later alleged that Siya Goyal and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, conspired to murder him.
‘We Never Knew She Was Unhappy’
According to police investigators, Siya and Chetan were in a relationship and allegedly viewed Ketan as an obstacle.
However, Vishal Agarwal said neither he nor his family ever received any indication that Siya was unhappy about the marriage.
“We didn’t know that she wasn’t happy. Every other day, Ketan and Siya would go out for dinners. She used to regularly call my son, my daughter and my wife. We had no idea about her relationship with another man,” he said.
He recalled that Ketan had once mentioned that Siya’s phone often remained engaged for long periods.
“Ketan told me that her phone was frequently on waiting mode and remained busy for hours. When he questioned her about it, she said she had been talking to friends,” Vishal Agarwal said.
‘One WhatsApp Message Could Have Ended Everything’
Expressing grief and frustration, Ketan’s father said the marriage could have been cancelled easily if Siya had simply informed them about her alleged relationship.
“If she was involved with someone else, she could have told us. She could have anonymously sent photographs of herself and that man through WhatsApp. We would have cancelled the wedding immediately,” he said.
“We never forced her to marry Ketan. Not wanting to marry someone is not a crime.”
According to him, the entire tragedy could have been avoided had the truth come out earlier.
Family Suspects Others May Have Known About Affair
Vishal Agarwal also suggested that some members of Siya’s family may have been aware of the relationship.
He said investigators should examine whether her parents or other relatives had prior knowledge of the affair.
“Maybe her parents or aunt knew about it and still pressured her to go ahead with the marriage. We don’t know yet. The police investigation will reveal the truth,” he said.
Sister’s Suspicion Became Turning Point In Investigation
While the family initially accepted the incident as an accident, Ketan’s sister Sanjana became suspicious after observing Siya’s behaviour following the tragedy.
According to Vishal Agarwal, Sanjana found it unusual that Siya was unable to answer basic questions about the circumstances surrounding Ketan’s death.
“Sanjana was not suspicious initially. But after Ketan died, she started questioning things because it was unlike him to stand near the edge of a cliff,” he said.
“When the police recovered Ketan’s body, Sanjana asked Siya simple questions — how did it happen, when did it happen, why did he go near the edge. Siya had no answers to any of them.”
Those inconsistencies eventually helped trigger further scrutiny of the case.
Family Demands Death Penalty
Ketan’s father has demanded the strictest punishment for everyone involved in the alleged conspiracy.
“I request the police to investigate every aspect of this case and find out if more people were involved. Those responsible should receive the death penalty,” he said.
“They killed my 26-year-old son over something so trivial. If she didn’t want to marry him, we would have called off the wedding.”
Police Claim Murder Plot Included Multiple Attempts
Investigators believe the June 18 incident was not the first attempt on Ketan’s life.
According to police findings, Siya allegedly tried to harm Ketan during a visit to Lohagad Fort on June 14.
Authorities claim she attempted to push him off a cliff, but he survived after grabbing onto a bush.
When Ketan questioned what had happened, she allegedly diverted attention by falsely shouting about a snake nearby and acting as though she was trying to protect him.
Police also revealed that another planned visit to the fort on June 4 did not take place because Ketan’s mother refused permission.
Cafe Meeting Before Final Murder Plan
Investigators allege that on June 18, Siya and Chetan met at a Pune café where they finalised plans to kill Ketan.
Later that day, Siya reportedly convinced Ketan to accompany her to Lohagad Fort.
Police claim Chetan followed them from a distance before the pair allegedly pushed Ketan into a gorge, leading to his death.
Hoodie-Clad Man In CCTV Footage Raised Suspicion
One of the crucial breakthroughs in the investigation came through CCTV footage captured near the fort.
Police noticed a man later identified as Chetan Chaudhary following the couple at a distance of around 20 to 30 feet.
Investigators found his appearance suspicious because he was wearing a hoodie that concealed much of his face despite temperatures touching nearly 33 degrees Celsius.
The unusual clothing, along with additional evidence collected during the probe, eventually helped investigators identify him and unravel the alleged murder conspiracy.