What was initially believed to be a fatal trekking accident at Pune’s historic Lohagad Fort has now been reclassified as a murder investigation after police uncovered suspicious details, including CCTV evidence of a hooded man at the site.
A camera near the fort’s ticket counter reportedly showed 26-year-old businessman Ketan Agarwal and his fiancée, 20-year-old Siya Goyal, being followed on June 18 by a man later identified as Chetan Chaudhary.
Ketan died a few hours later after falling nearly 400 feet into a gorge. The incident was first treated as an accidental death.
However, investigators said the case took a turn after they noticed the suspect’s unusual appearance — he was wearing a hoodie in 33-degree June heat, with his face hidden and a headset on. His movements in the footage, including briefly sitting down and Siya glancing back, added to suspicion.
Police also found that Chetan had left his phone at work on the day of the incident and kept his internet switched off for several hours, allegedly to avoid tracking. His calls were reportedly answered by shop staff instead of him.
Siya initially told police that Ketan slipped while taking photographs near a cliff, and an accidental death report was filed.
But as the investigation expanded, officers analysed CCTV footage, call records, and digital communication data. They claimed there were thousands of calls exchanged between Siya and Chetan over time, indicating a close relationship.
According to investigators, this led them to suspect a conspiracy involving the two. They also examined social media and photographs to match the hooded figure in the footage with Chetan.
Police further alleged that Siya had earlier shown hesitation about the marriage and had repeatedly suggested visiting Lohagad Fort with Ketan. They also claimed there had been earlier incidents at the same location that raised suspicion.
Investigators now believe the fall was not accidental but part of a planned killing, allegedly carried out by Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, who were reportedly in a relationship.
Both individuals are currently in custody, and police say they have admitted involvement during interrogation.
