Police allege that Siya Goyal and her boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary planned the murder of her 25-year-old fiancé Ketan Agarwal during a coffee meeting in Pune on June 17. The discussion occurred one day before Agarwal was pushed into a gorge at Lohagad Fort, investigators said.
Initial findings indicate the pair reviewed details about the fort and watched related videos while at the cafe. CCTV images show them arriving around 4:35 pm and departing near 5:30 pm.
Agarwal, director and marketing head at his family real estate company Success Group, died on June 18 during a trek with Goyal. The pair had become engaged earlier in the year and were scheduled to wed in November, with families arranging a large ceremony in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
After the incident Goyal initially told officers that Agarwal slipped while they took photos near the edge amid strong winds. An accidental death case was opened and his body was recovered after a three-hour search.
Investigators later shifted to a murder inquiry after finding contradictions in statements, along with CCTV, digital records and other evidence. Ketan’s family had initially raised no doubts and asked police to avoid controversy.
Suspicion grew when Goyal altered her account, first claiming they were photographing and later saying they had paused to rest and he slipped while passing a water bottle. No photos from the fort appeared on his phone, and the location was not a usual resting spot for trekkers.
CCTV from the area showed a hooded man on the trail near the couple. Goyal was seen looking back and making a gesture toward him. Records later identified the man as Chaudhary, who arrived before the couple and stayed only about 48 minutes.
Police say call logs, location data and travel records supported the theory of a planned act. After Chaudhary’s arrest, questioning and further technical evidence led to the conclusion of a premeditated conspiracy, officials stated.
