Pune Ketan Agarwal Murder: ‘Sit Down’ Signal Before Fatal Push Meant to Keep Siya Safe, Probe Finds
Pune, 29th June 2026: Investigation team probing the murder of businessman Ketan Agarwal have uncovered fresh details about the alleged conspiracy behind the killing during a crime scene reconstruction at Lohagad Fort on Sunday. Police claimed that the prime accused, Siya Goyal (20), revealed how she allegedly gave a pre-decided signal to her boyfriend and co-accused, Chetan Choudhary (22), moments before Ketan was pushed into a deep gorge.
A team of Pune Rural Police, led by senior officers, took Siya to the fort under heavy security early Sunday morning to recreate the sequence of events. During the nearly three-hour exercise, investigators said Siya disclosed that she and Chetan had agreed on a coded signal before carrying out the murder. As per the alleged plan, she was to suddenly sit down while walking with Ketan, either pretending to drink water or tying her shoelaces. The moment she sat down, Chetan, who was allegedly hiding nearby, approached from behind and pushed the unsuspecting Ketan off the cliff.
Police said the plan was not only intended to signal Chetan but also to ensure Siya’s own safety. According to Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill and members of the investigation team, the accused feared that if Ketan resisted the push or tried to save himself, he might pull Siya along into the gorge. To avoid that possibility, they allegedly decided that she would sit down and remain out of his reach before the fatal push.
Investigators also claimed that the accused had planned the murder well in advance. During interrogation, both Siya and Chetan allegedly admitted that they had visited Lohagad Fort earlier to scout for a suitable location and had even rehearsed the crime. Police are now trying to ascertain whether they conducted similar trial runs at any other locations.
The investigation has also revealed that Chetan allegedly took several steps to avoid leaving an electronic trail on the day of the crime. Instead of travelling by car from Pune to Lohagad Fort, around 90 km away, on June 18, he allegedly used a scooter to avoid toll plazas, CCTV cameras and Fastag tracking. After the murder, he is said to have returned to Pune on the same scooter, which has since been seized by police.
Police further claimed that Chetan changed his appearance three times at the fort to avoid being identified. He allegedly climbed the fort wearing a hoodie, removed it near the crime scene and remained in a black T-shirt while carrying out the offence, before putting the hoodie back on while leaving the fort.
According to police, Siya admitted during interrogation that she did not want to marry Ketan and was in a relationship with Chetan. Investigators alleged that she told them she feared serious family disputes if she refused the marriage proposal or called off the wedding and therefore conspired with Chetan to eliminate Ketan.
The police custody of both accused ends on Monday, following which Pune Rural Police are expected to produce them before a court and seek an extension of their custody for further investigation.
