Siya's constant phone use, mention of Chetan: Pune man's father recalls ‘ignored red flags’ about fiancée

WLid was number one believed to be a tragical trekking fortuity has at present unravelled into an alleged murder conspiracy involving a young woman and her boyfriend, just months before her wedding.Five days after Pune businessman Ketan Vishal Agarwal's death at Lohagad Fort was recorded as an accidental fall, police arrested his fiancée, Siya Goyal, 20, and her alleged boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary, 22. Investigators claim the two conspired to push Agarwal into a 400-foot gorge with the intention of killing him.The arrests have also cast a spotlight on warning signs that Ketan's family now believes were overlooked, including the 25-year-old's concerns about Goyal's behaviour, her frequent phone use and her apparent closeness to another man.Father says Ketan had doubtsKetan's father, Vishal Agarwal, said, “After the engagement in February, Ketan and Siya met frequently and went out together. At times, Ketan expressed concerns about Siya, and asked us whether we had properly verified her antecedents." he told HT."But as her family was related to us through our extended family network, I reassured him that everything was fine,” Aggarwal added.Also Read I 'Left me on my birthday, come back': Pune woman's Instagram story goes viral after killing businessman fiancéAccording to Ketan's father, the couple often argued over minor issues. He also recalled that Siya spent a significant amount of time on her phone. Ketan had even mentioned the name of Chetan Chaudhary, raising suspicions that there might be a relationship between the two.“We thought about delaying the wedding because she was so young but her parents insisted that we go ahead with it as they would not find a match like my son,” he added.The events leading to Ketan's death began on June 18, a day before Siya's 20th birthday, cops said.Attended B-school in Massachusetts, was set to marry in NovemberKetan was a director at his family's company, Success Group, a major warehouse developer in Maharashtra. After completing a master's degree from the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College in Massachusetts, he returned to Pune in 2023 to join the family business.His engagement to Siya Goyal took place earlier this year through a family arrangement facilitated by his maternal uncle. The couple was scheduled to marry in November, and hotels had already been booked in Udaipur for the wedding celebrations.Also Read | A Bali trip, a missing passport and a hoodie in the heat: How cops caught Pune man's killersPolice allege, however, that while preparations for the wedding were progressing, Siya was in a relationship with Chaudhary, whose family also runs a business in the same commercial area as her father's.Investigation uncovers alleged plotAs investigators dug deeper, they found several inconsistencies in the accident narrative.Gill noted that Ketan was an experienced trekker who frequently visited Lohagad Fort and knew the terrain well. Statements provided by his family also prompted police to scrutinise Siya's actions more closely.A forensic examination of her phone and other evidence allegedly revealed that she and Chaudhary had been in a relationship for more than a year. Investigators believe she had been attempting to avoid marrying Ketan.One such instance emerged from a planned pre-wedding photoshoot trip to Bali earlier this month. Police claim the trip was cancelled after Ketan discovered his passport was missing at Mumbai airport. During the investigation, officers allegedly found that Siya had hidden the passport to prevent the journey from taking place.Police also uncovered another incident that occurred just four days before Ketan's death. During a previous trek to Lohagad, Siya allegedly pushed him, later claiming she had spotted a snake and was trying to save him.Also Read | How fiancee, lover conspired to kill Pune man in Lohagad fort after ‘failing first attempt’Boyfriend ‘present at fort’Investigators say call records placed Chaudhary at Lohagad Fort at the same time as Ketan and Siya on June 18.“Through Call Record Data we managed to figure out that Chetan Chaudhary was also at Lohagad at the same time that Ketan and Siya were there,” said SP Gill.According to the police officer, both accused have confessed to the crime during questioning. Authorities have described the case as bearing similarities to last year's widely reported "honeymoon killing" of Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya.Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary have been booked under Sections 103 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deal with murder and criminal conspiracy. Both have been taken into custody as the investigation continues.