Weeks before Ketan Agrawal’s death at Lohagad Fort near Pune, a planned pre-wedding trip to Bali was unexpectedly cancelled after his passport disappeared. Investigators now believe the missing document may have been part of a broader conspiracy that later culminated in his alleged murder.
According to Pune Rural Police, Ketan’s fiancée, Siya Goyal, allegedly stole and destroyed his passport to prevent him from travelling abroad with her. Investigators say this development has become a significant element of the ongoing murder probe.
Ketan, 26, and Siya, 20, who became engaged in February, were scheduled to travel to Bali on June 6 with two other companions. However, the trip was called off when Ketan discovered at the airport that his passport was missing.
Recalling the incident, Ketan’s father, Vishal Agrawal, said that although four people were due to travel together, only Ketan’s passport had disappeared, forcing him to abandon the trip and return home.
Police sources later alleged that Siya had secretly taken the passport and destroyed it. Investigators claim she tore up the document and disposed of it in the washroom of a hotel where the couple had stopped for breakfast before heading to the airport.
According to investigators, the passport incident was not a standalone act. Police allege that Siya was involved in a relationship with Chetan Chaudhary and no longer wished to marry Ketan. They believe the pair viewed him as an obstacle and had already begun planning his murder weeks before his death.
The investigation further alleges that there were multiple attempts to kill Ketan before the fatal incident. Police claim that during a visit to Lohagad Fort on June 14, Siya and Chetan attempted to push him into a valley after creating panic over a supposed snake sighting. Ketan survived that incident, and the alleged plan failed.
Four days later, on June 18, Ketan returned to the fort after being persuaded by Siya. Investigators say Chetan travelled separately on a motorcycle and later joined the group. Police allege that the two then attacked Ketan and pushed him into a gorge, resulting in his death.
Initially treated as a trekking accident, the case has since been reclassified as a murder investigation. Both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary have been arrested and charged with murder and criminal conspiracy.
For Ketan’s family, the missing passport has taken on new significance. What once appeared to be an unfortunate travel mishap is now viewed as a possible warning sign of a larger plot. Reflecting on the tragedy, Ketan’s father said that if Siya did not want to marry his son, she could simply have ended the engagement rather than resorting to such extreme measures.
Police continue to investigate the case and are examining whether anyone else may have known about or participated in the alleged conspiracy.
