Fiancee or lover: Who pushed Ketan Agarwal off the cliff

A police escort escorted Siya to the Lonavala Gramin police station for questioning in connection with the Ketan Agarwal death case in Lonavala, Pune district on June 24, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI

Pune Rural Police arrested Ketan Agarwal’s fiancee Siya Goyal and her lover Chetan Chaudhary in connection with his murder in Lohagad Fort. However, investigators are not sure which of the two accused physically pushed Agarwal off the cliff to his death.

Agarwal’s death at Lohagad Fort on June 18, initially registered as an accidental fall, was reclassified as a premeditated murder after a police investigation. The Pune Rural Police arrested Ms Goyal and her associate Mr Chaudhary. Investigations revealed that the pair had reconnoitred the area twice prior to the incident.

SP Sandeep Singh Gill inspected the crime scene at the Lohagad Fort base on Wednesday evening along with a team of the forensic department, looking for physical evidence to establish the sequence of events leading to Agarwal’s fall.

According to the police investigation, Ms Goyal and Mr Chaudhary allegedly acted in concert to kill Agarwal. However, investigators have not established whether it was Ms Goyal, who was walking by her fiance’s side at the time of the incident, who pushed him down or whether it was Mr Chaudhary, who was waiting at the scene, who delivered the fatal blow. Police are reviewing forensic evidence and witness statements to establish these details.

A sweatshirt on a hot day

Two actions of Mr. Chaudhary put him under suspicion. First, he left his mobile phone at home to avoid tracking his location in Lohagad area, police said. He carried an employee’s mobile phone and used it to communicate with Ms Goyal via WhatsApp in an attempt to mislead the police investigation.

Second, CCTV footage from the checkout shows Agarwal and his fiancee walking together. From a distance, a young man can be seen behind them in shorts and a hoodie with a hood pulled over his face and wearing headphones. In one clip, Ms. Goyal is seen looking back, after which a young man in a sweatshirt is seen quickly sitting down. The temperature at the site on June 18 was recorded at 33 degrees Celsius, leading police to question why anyone would wear a hoodie in such weather. Police matched Mr. Chaudhary’s photos and social media profiles with the individual in the CCTV footage and the similarity led to his arrest.

The police also examined call records and digital communication data. The investigation found that Ms. Goyal and Mr. Chaudhary maintained regular communication over a long period of time. Between January 1 and June 18, they made a total of 2,004 calls. This communication pattern provided evidence of their relationship. Police said the pair had developed a close relationship over the past year through business interactions. As a result, Mrs. Goyal did not wish to marry Agarwal. Her birthday was June 19 and she didn’t even want to celebrate it with her fiance, police said.

‘Honoring the Family’

During questioning, Mr Chaudhary was asked why he and his lover did not simply run off and get married, but he said Ms Goyal did not want to break off her engagement to Agarwal and run away with him because she believed it would bring shame to her family.

Although the engaged couple had planned a trip to Bali, Ms Goyal took Agarwal’s passport to ensure the trip was cancelled. On June 18, she brought her fiancé to Lohagad on the pretext of a trek.

After Agarwal fell off the cliff, Ms Goyal raised the alarm and called security. She also contacted her fiance’s family members, claiming he slipped and fell. The police initially registered the case as an accidental death. However, the suspicious presence of a person wearing a sweatshirt at the fort led the police to investigate further.

After presenting the evidence, the accused couple allegedly confessed to their involvement in the crime. The police are registering a case of suspected murder and criminal conspiracy. Investigations are on as police are looking for who among the accused physically pushed Agarwal off the cliff. Pune Rural Police is taking legal action in the case.

Published – 24 Jun 2026 23:40 IST