PUNE: A 26-year-old Pune businessman who was initially believed to have died in an accidental fall while trekking has allegedly been murdered by his fiancée and her lover, police said on Tuesday.The accused, identified as Siya Goyal and her alleged lover Chetan Babulal Chaudhary (22), have been arrested for allegedly pushing Ketan Agarwal into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18, according to news agency PTI.Ketan, a resident of Gahunje and director of a family-run real estate business, had gone trekking to Lohagad Fort with Siya to celebrate her birthday. The couple was scheduled to get married in November.According to police, Ketan fell nearly 400 feet into the gorge while taking photographs amid strong winds. Following the incident, Siya told Lonavala Rural Police that he had slipped and fallen while posing for pictures. A rescue team recovered his body after a three-hour operation, and an accidental death report was initially registered.However, further investigation raised suspicions about the circumstances surrounding the death.Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural, Sandip Singh Gill, said the police examined multiple angles, including financial disputes and personal relationships.“Our teams examined multiple angles, including financial disputes and personal relationships. During the probe, police found that Siya was in a relationship with Chaudhary, a resident of Kondhwa in Pune,” he said.Police said the investigation revealed that Siya was unwilling to marry Ketan and considered him an obstacle to her relationship with Chaudhary.According to investigators, the duo conspired to eliminate Ketan. As part of the alleged plan, Siya took him to Lohagad Fort under the pretext of an outing, while Chaudhary reached the location separately.The two allegedly pushed Ketan into the valley, leading to his death.Based on suspicion, the local crime branch detained Chaudhary for questioning. During interrogation, investigators allegedly uncovered details of the murder plot.“Our investigation found that Chaudhary had reached the fort before the couple arrived. He subsequently followed them to an isolated spot, where he and Siya allegedly pushed Ketan Agarwal into the valley, resulting in his death,” Gill said.Following Chaudhary’s interrogation, police also arrested Siya.“Following a complaint lodged by Ketan’s father, Vishal Agarwal, the Lonavala rural police registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Tuesday,” Gill said.The case has drawn attention due to the scale of preparations reportedly underway for the couple’s wedding. According to police, the families had booked a palace in Rajasthan worth Rs 17 crore and arranged two private aircraft for guests.According to news agency PTI, Ketan’s father Vishal Agarwal said, “When the police came with my son’s body, Siya did not show any reaction. There was no sadness on her face.”He also alleged that Siya had earlier sabotaged a planned pre-wedding trip to Bali.According to Agarwal, Siya, Ketan, her brother and Ketan’s sister were travelling to Mumbai airport for a flight to Indonesia, carrying all four passports in a single pouch.“At a food mall in Lonavala, Siya returned to the car on the pretext of fetching her phone. When they later reached the airport, Ketan’s passport was missing from the pouch, forcing them to cancel the trip,” Agarwal claimed.He further alleged that after the Bali trip was cancelled, Siya argued with Ketan and insisted on visiting Lohagad Fort.“On June 14, Siya and Ketan had gone to the same spot at Lohagad Fort from where he was later pushed. At the time, he managed to save himself by holding on to nearby bushes. When Ketan realised he had been pushed, Siya raised a false alarm about a snake and claimed she had pushed him only to protect him. Looking back, I believe there was an attempt to kill Ketan even on June 14,” Agarwal alleged.The businessman also claimed that members of the Goyal family may have been aware of the conspiracy and could have had a role in it.Agarwal said the Goyal family had approached them with the marriage proposal and had insisted that Siya and Ketan were a suitable match.Ketan had completed an MS in Entrepreneurship, while Siya held a commerce degree from a private college.Police said further investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events, gather forensic evidence and determine whether any other individuals were involved in the alleged murder conspiracy.Lohagad Fort, where the incident took place, is associated with the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and is among the 12 forts in Maharashtra included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
