Lohagad Fort Murder: CCTV of Hooded Man Exposes Plot to Kill Pune Businessman

Police arrested Siya Goyal, 20, and her lover Chetan Chaudhary, 22, on Tuesday for allegedly pushing a 26-year-old businessman into a gorge at Lohagad Fort.

Ketan Agarwal, a resident of Gahunje and the director and chief marketing officer of Success Group, died on June 18 after falling from a cliff. Police initially registered the incident as an accidental death after Goyal told Agarwal's family that he slipped during their trek. Agarwal had an MS in Entrepreneurship, while Goyal held a degree in commerce from a private college.

Goyal and Agarwal were engaged in February and were scheduled to marry in Udaipur in November.

Suspicious Hoodie in Heat

Investigators checked CCTV cameras at the fort's ticket counter and spotted a man trailing Agarwal and Goyal.

"While investigating the case, we stumbled upon certain circumstances surrounding the incident that raised suspicion and prompted a deeper probe. We checked CCTV cameras installed at the ticket counter of the fort, where we spotted Ketan and Siya walking together," a police officer said.

"The man was wearing shorts and a hoodie. The front part of the hoodie was pulled so low that his face could not be seen. Additionally, the man was wearing a headset over the hoodie. In another footage clip, we noticed Siya suddenly looking back and, at the same time, the man in the hoodie suddenly sitting down," the official said.

Police verified that the temperature at the fort on June 18 was 33 degrees Celsius, making the hoodie highly suspicious. Officers matched social media profiles and photographs of Chaudhary with the CCTV footage to identify him.

Prior Murder Attempts Uncovered

Goyal had previously expressed reservations about the marriage to Agarwal's uncle, asking if the wedding could be postponed by a year.

During inquiries with Ketan's sister, Sanjana, and other family members, police learned she repeatedly persuaded Agarwal to visit Lohagad Fort. Goyal took him to the site on May 31 and attempted to arrange another trip on June 4, which his mother blocked. A planned pre-wedding photoshoot in Bali was cancelled after Agarwal's passport mysteriously went missing.

During a visit to Lohagad on June 14, Goyal pushed Agarwal off a cliff, but he saved himself by holding onto a bush. She then fabricated a story about a snake to cover up her action, telling Agarwal she pushed him to protect him.

Call Records Reveal Motive

The Lonavala Rural Police and the Local Crime Branch analysed call detail records and digital communication data to uncover the conspiracy.

"We found thousands of calls exchanged between the two over an extended period, including several conversations lasting for hours," the officer said regarding Goyal and Chaudhary's communication.

"During the interrogation, Chetan was asked why they did not consider running away and instead chose to eliminate Ketan. According to him, Siya was not in favour of calling off the engagement and eloping with Chetan, as she thought doing so would bring disrespect to her family," the officer said.

Police have booked both suspects on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.