Pune fort murder: Siya’s ‘sit down’ signal was also meant to ensure her safety, police say

Police personnel escort accused Siya Goyal to Lonavala Gramin Police Station for questioning. File. | Photo credit: PTI

Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal’s fiancee Siya Goyal sat down not only to signal her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary to push him out of the Lohagad Fort but also to ensure she stayed out of the victim’s reach during the fall, police said.

Mr Chaudhary also did his homework by traveling to the historic site on a scooter and avoiding a car for fear of being spotted at the toll plaza, they said on Sunday (June 27, 2026).

Ms Goyal, 20, and Mr Chaudhary, 22, were arrested for allegedly conspiring to kill 25-year-old Agarwal and throw him off a cliff on June 18 in a fort in Pune district.

The official said the plan was for Ms Goyal to give a signal by sitting down, after which Mr Chaudhary was to come and push the unsuspecting Agarwal to death. They executed the plan perfectly, he said.

The two decided to sit down either to drink water or under the pretense of tying their shoelaces. The signal was to sit down, the official said.

However, it was also a well thought out move to protect Ms Goyal.

“The signal was chosen deliberately so that Ms. Goyal was out of reach of the victim during the fatal push. They feared that if Mr. Chetan pushed Ketan and he tried to catch Ms. Siya as she fell, she might also fall into the ravine. The plan was made with her safety in mind,” he said.

Co-accused Mr. Chaudhary also very carefully disguised his presence when he followed Ms. Goyal and Agarwal on June 18. Police said he had deliberately traveled from Pune to Lohagad Fort, about 90 km away, on a scooter instead of a car.

“Chaudhary was traveling to Lohagad Fort on the morning of June 18. He preferred the scooter to the car as he feared that the car might be detected at the toll booth. We seized the scooter,” said a police officer who is part of the investigation.

After allegedly committing the crime, Mr. Chaudhary returned to Pune on the same scooter, the official said.

Investigators also found that Mr. Chaudhary had changed his appearance after reaching the fort.

“He climbed the fort wearing a hoodie. He later took it off and remained in a black T-shirt. He put the hoodie back on when he left,” the official said, adding that investigators believe it was done to avoid attracting attention.

Earlier on Sunday (June 28, 2026), police took Ms Goyal to Lohagad Fort to reconstruct the crime scene, using a mannequin to recreate the moment her fiance Agarwal was pushed to death, the official said.

The exercise was aimed at establishing the exact chain of events of the June 18 incident, he said.

The official said it was careful planning and the two admitted they visited the fort to find a suitable place to carry out the plan and do some “practice”.

“We are yet to find out at which other location they were practicing,” the official said.

As the police custody of both will end on Monday (June 29, 2026), they will be produced in court and the police will seek further custody, he said.

iyaPolice on Saturday (June 27, 2026) interrogated Goyal’s father, mother and brother at length and recorded their statements.

Published – 29 Jun 2026 09:40 IST