New Delhi: What was initially made to appear a fatal trekking accident at the Lohagad Fort in Maharashtra has now turned into a suspected murder case, with police alleging a woman conspired with her lover to push her fiance into a 400-feet gorge.
The Pune Police has arrested Siya Goyal (20) and Chetan Chaudhary(22), and said they were in a relationship and allegedly wanted to eliminate Siya’s fiance Ketan Agrawal, a trekker and businessman.
Police said Siya, who is from Pune’s Marketyard, and Chetan, from Kondhwa, have been booked under sections 103 (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Ketan was a resident of Gahunje, and was from a prominent business family that deals in construction. He had a Master’s in Entrepreneurial Leadership and a Bachelor’s in Supply Chain Management from Symbiosis, and a postgraduate from Babson College, USA.
The incident happened on 18 June. Ketan died after falling nearly 400-feet into the gorge at the Lohagad Fort near Pune. After the incident, Siya made a phone call to the police, claiming that Ketan had slipped while taking photographs during an outing amid strong winds.
Police said that at the time of the incident, the case was being treated as an accidental death case after her complaint. Siya and Ketan, both of whom come from business families, were expected to get married this year. Their family members had begun extensive wedding preparations.
But now police say that Siya had tried to kill him four days ago as well by pushing him off the same fort, but failed.
Police said they are also investigating if the incident was a fallout of a property dispute or any other reason. Ketan’s family told the police that he was a skilled trekker, and they suspected foul play.
The ‘admission’
“We checked the suspects’ call records and locations and took Siya and her partner Chaudhary into custody for questioning. During sustained questioning, the duo admitted to killing Ketan by pushing him from a cliff on the fort,” a police officer said.
Police said they checked CCTV footage from the fort and spotted a person climbing the fort, his faces covered with a hoodie.
Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill told a press conference Tuesday that after the 18 June incident, a case of accidental death was registered and investigation taken up.
“There were multiple inconsistencies…surrounding the death that prompted a deeper investigation,” Gill said, adding teams examined multiple angles, including financial disputes and personal relationships.
During the investigation, while statements of families and friends were analysed, police allegedly found that Siya was in a relationship with Chetan Chaudhary, who too, comes from a business family.
Police alleged that Siya did not want to marry Ketan, and thought he was an obstacle in her relationship with Chetan. Thus, the two conspired to kill him. According to Gill, Siya persuaded Ketan to visit the Lohagad Fort, a popular trekking destination.
Police said Siya and Chetan met each other sometime ago, and planned to eliminate Ketan. A few weeks ago, their prewedding photoshoot in Bali was scheduled. But, Siya allegedly hid his passport as part of the conspiracy, and they missed the trip.
Later, police revealed that on 14 June, Siya took Ketan to the same fort, hoping to push him to death. The attempt failed. Investigation also revealed that on 18 June Chetan was also at the location, when Ketan was pushed into the gorge, police said.
Siya and Chetan were arrested based on information that emerged during the questioning, police said. “The police were suspicious. How could a trekker like Agarwal fall from the fort? This is how the investigation led to the arrest,” Gill said.
He said that following a complaint lodged by Ketan’s father Vishal Agarwal, the Lonavala rural police Tuesday registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing as officers work to establish the exact sequence of events, gather forensic evidence and determine whether any other individuals were involved in the alleged conspiracy.
A grieving family
Ketan’s family members told ThePrint that Siya’s family was aware of her relationship with Chetan, “but pushed for this marriage”.
“The family, including Siya’s brother, her mother, and her aunt did know about this relationship. However, they knew this was a much better family for Siya to marry into. Had they allowed her to marry as per her wish, my son would have been alive,” Vishal Agarwal, Ketan’s father, told ThePrint.
He said his family knew the Goyals for more than 35 years, and had never seen any behavior that was suspicious.
“Her family would interfere a lot in their relationship. I don’t know why she had to kill my son? She could have just said no? Or spoken to us…” Vishal said, adding that police should arrest everybody who is part of this murder conspiracy.
On the first attempt Siya allegedly made to kill Ketna, Vishal said, “My son had never suspected anything foul. On 14 June, when my son almost fell, she screamed and said there was a snake. She then hugged him, and my son assumed there was nothing wrong…if only we knew…”
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: From love on a bus to fight over a woman — story of live-in partners that ended in Nikki’s murder