A 26-year-old property manager was pushed to death from Lohagad Fort by his fiancée and her alleged lover, officials said. The duo have now confessed to committing the murder after failing to kill him the first time, according to the victim’s father.
Ketan Vishal Agrawal, a resident of Jahungi in Pune, died on June 18 after falling from a height of nearly 400 feet into a gorge near Lohagad Fort. What was initially thought to be a flight accident has now been reclassified as murder after investigators claimed there was a deliberate conspiracy involving the victim. His fiancée Sia Goyal and Chetan Babulal Chaudhary.
Agrawal was engaged to Goyal, and the family was preparing for their wedding.
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How the duo conspired to kill him
During investigation, police found that Goyal was in a relationship with Chetan Chaudhary, 22, a resident of Kondhwa, Pune. Police said Goyal did not want to marry Agrawal and allegedly considered him an obstacle in her relationship with Chaudhary.
According to investigators, the two allegedly conspired to kill him. As per the alleged plan, Goyal took Agrawal to Lohagad Fort saying it would be a picnic. Chaudhry was called to the scene later, according to the report.
The police claimed that once the three were at the site, Agrawal was attacked with an object and then pushed outside the fort, killing him.
“The two had known each other for about a year. They conspired to implement this plan; at Lohagad Fort, they pushed Ketan Agarwal, causing him to fall to his death,” says SP Sandeep Singh Gill of Pune Rural Police.
“Following a complaint lodged by Ketan’s father, Vishal Agarwal, the Lonavala Rural Police registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Tuesday,” Gill said.
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The father of the deceased said that they also confessed later.
“Sia and her partner confessed.”
“On June 18, my 26-year-old son fell from Lohagad Fort and died. Initially, we thought it was an accidental slip, just as Siya Goyal had told us. However, her statements and suspicious behavior later made us realize that this was not a simple accident,” his father Vishal Agarwal told HT.
“Both Siya and her accomplice have confessed to the murder after their arrest and confessed that they conspired and planned to kill him. They also revealed that they initially planned to kill him on June 14 but failed and subsequently brought him back to the fort on June 18 to carry out the crime. I strongly believe that Siya Goyal’s parents, brother and aunt could also be involved, as they knew everything from the beginning. I hope everyone else is involved in this matter,” he said. “The heinous crime is also being brought to justice,” he told HT.
“She could have said no.”
Agrawal’s father demanded quick action in the case. “My only appeal to the government is to expedite this case at all costs…punish the accused as soon as possible. They deserve the harshest possible punishment to send a clear message,” he told news agency ANI.
He was also shocked by the alleged motive: “If she had not wanted to get married, she would have simply refused. We would have called off the wedding immediately. Why did they decide to take such a drastic step?”
“What kind of mentality do they have? Their mentality is so cruel that a 26-year-old son of one of them could be killed,” the father told ANI.
Police said Siya Goyal had earlier informed them that Agrawal had slipped while taking pictures amid strong winds. An accidental death report was initially registered based on her statement. Agrawal was engaged to Goyal, and the family was preparing for their wedding, including booking a venue in Udaipur.
Based on preliminary evidence, Chaudhary was first arrested by the local crime branch, and then Goyal was arrested. Both are currently appearing in court, police said.
