Pune Lohagad Fort Murder: Family Demands Death Penalty for Ketan Agarwal's Killers

Family members and local residents gathered for a candlelight march in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Saturday carrying candles and "Justice for Ketan Agrawal" posters.

Ketan Agarwal, 26, died after falling from Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. Police are investigating the incident as an alleged murder.

Officers arrested his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her friend, Chetan Chaudhary, in connection with the case. Both suspects are currently in police custody.

Demands For Capital Punishment

Ketan's parents, Rakhi Agarwal and Vishal Agarwal, participated in the march alongside supporters carrying placards. The family demanded the maximum penalty for the accused.

"I have just one appeal. My 26-year-old son was killed for no apparent reason--a reason that remains unknown to this day. My child was not at fault in any way," Vishal Agarwal told reporters.

"I had set out to arrange his marriage and bring a daughter-in-law into the family; I never imagined I would lose my child instead. I appeal to everyone to ensure he gets justice and that his killers get the death sentence," he added.

Vishal Agarwal expressed full satisfaction with the efforts of investigators and absolute faith in the law and order system, adding, "I am grateful to everyone supporting me, and I hope you will continue to stand by me until the accused are punished."

"I want justice for Ketan, and I want the death penalty for Siya. I am a mother, and Siya has a mother too; yet, I want the death penalty for Siya and for Chetan. I want justice for my son," Rakhi Agarwal said.

Questions Over Marriage

Siya Goyal did not want to marry Ketan Agarwal, police said. She had been in a relationship with Chetan Chaudhary for over a year.

The couple had a grand wedding scheduled for November in Udaipur. Relatives questioned her prolonged silence during the matchmaking process.

"When the other party, Siya Goyal's entire family, came regarding the wedding, they were told everything about Ketan; nothing was hidden from them. If she had any issues, why didn't she say so?" an unnamed family member said.

"She spent so much time with him--going out, dining together, doing everything--so why didn't she raise any objections then? Our only question is: if she didn't like our son, why didn't she just say 'no' on the very first day? We simply want justice for our child and our family; that is all we expect from the government," the family member added.