The Lohagad Fort trek is supposed to be about wind, history, and monsoon clouds. On June 18, 2026, it became a crime scene. Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal, 26, was pushed off a 1,400-foot cliff edge to his death during what his fiancée called a “birthday celebration trip.” Three days later, that fiancée, Siya Goyal, 20, was arrested for his murder. Alongside her: Chetan Chaudhary, 23, her gym trainer and secret lover. The case would unravel through CCTV trails, deleted WhatsApp chats, and one detail that made no sense in 34°C Pune heat: a black hoodie.
The couple set for a ₹17 crore dream wedding.
To the world, Ketan and Siya were a power match. He was a second-generation real estate developer from Kothrud, handling his family’s luxury projects in Baner and Balewadi. She was a social media influencer with 210k followers, daughter of a Surat diamond trader. Their November 2026 wedding at the Ananta Resort had a reported budget of ₹17 crore — designer lehenga, drone light show, 1,200 guests. The engagement in March was a viral reel. Friends called them “made for Instagram.” Police say they were made for something else: a murder plot that took two months to execute.
The birthday trip that was a trap- June 18 was Siya’s 21st birthday. She told Ketan she wanted a sunrise trek at Lohagad Fort, a popular spot 60 km from Pune. He drove. She insisted Chetan, their “common friend” and fitness coach, join them for photos. Witnesses saw the three start the climb around 5:40 am. By 7:15 am, Ketan was gone. Siya’s version: he slipped while taking a selfie near the cliff edge at the fort’s western rampart. She said she screamed, tried to hold him, and Chetan ran to call for help. She posted a black-and-white Instagram story by 9:02 am: “Can’t believe you’re gone. Happy birthday to me, huh.” It had 2.1 million views in 24 hours.
The hoodie that made no sense- Lonavala Police weren’t convinced. June in the Sahyadris is brutal. The temperature that morning was 34°C by 7 am. Yet in every CCTV frame from the base village to the fort entrance, Chetan Chaudhary was wearing a thick black hoodie, hood up, hands in pockets. Tourists were in t-shirts and caps. The hoodie hid his face from 11 of 14 cameras on the route. But it made him memorable. A tea stall owner near the entrance told police, “Bhai, garmi mein hoodie? Maine socha Mumbai ka ladka hoga.” That detail pushed investigators to check his background.
Two failed attempts before the final push- Chetan and Siya had known each other for 10 months. They met at a Koregaon Park gym where he trained Ketan too. Call data records showed 4,200+ calls and texts between them from April to June, most deleted. Many were made late at night after Siya’s phone left Ketan’s Kothrud flat. Police recovered a smashed phone from Chetan’s hostel that, once repaired, revealed a plan.
Attempt 1: May 12. Siya convinced Ketan to go for a night drive to Lavasa. Chetan was to stage a “bike robbery” and push Ketan off a valley point. Ketan got a work call and cancelled.
Attempt 2: June 2. At Siya’s family farmhouse in Mulshi, Chetan mixed sedatives in Ketan’s drink. The plan was drowning in the pool. Ketan didn’t drink, saying he had a meeting.
The Lohagad trip was attempt 3. This time, no outs. The fort’s western edge has no railing. On weekends it’s crowded, but Tuesday morning was empty.
How police cracked it
CCTV trail: Footage showed Chetan and Siya walking ahead, then waiting 8 minutes near the cliff. Ketan arrived, they spoke for 43 seconds, then he vanished from frame. No slip. A push.
Phone evidence: Ketan’s phone was found 200 feet down with his body. It had a crack from the fall, but data was intact. His last Google search at 7:11 am: “is my fiancée cheating.” At 7:13 am, a draft text to his sister: “If anything happens to me...” He never sent it.
Financial motive: Ketan had made Siya a nominee in two ₹50 lakh life insurance policies in April. He’d also transferred ₹28 lakh to her account for “wedding prep.” His family said he was planning to change the nominee after a fight in May, but hadn’t yet. Chetan was in ₹19 lakh debt from crypto losses. Siya’s influencer income had dropped 60% after an ad scam.
Instagram post: Siya’s “Happy birthday to me, huh” story was posted 1 hour 47 minutes after Ketan died, before police even informed the family. She’d taken the time to pick a filter. Investigators called it “performative grief.”
The confession- Confronted with the CCTV and phone data on June 21, Chetan broke first. He told police Siya said Ketan was “abusive and controlling” and that they’d be together after the “accident.” He admitted to pushing Ketan while Siya distracted him by pointing at the valley. Siya initially denied it, but her phone’s deleted notes app had a list titled “Reasons”: “1. He found out. 2. Money. 3. Chetan is better. 4. I can’t call it off — dad will kill me.”
Both were arrested under Section 103 BNS for murder and 238 for destruction of evidence. Police also invoked 61(2) for criminal conspiracy. They are in Yerawada Jail, denied bail by Pune Sessions Court on July 8.
What the case exposed
Premeditation over passion: This wasn’t a fight gone wrong. It was planned across cities, with backup plans, alibis, and digital clean-up.
Social media as a tell: Siya’s curated grief became evidence. Police now train officers to pull social media metadata within 6 hours of suspicious deaths.
The insurance angle: IRDAI has flagged the case, noting a rise in “fiancé nominee” claims. New rules may mandate a cooling period for nominee changes before marriage.
Tourist spot vulnerability: Lohagad, Sinhagad, and other forts have no CCTV at cliff points. Maharashtra Tourism now plans railings and cameras at 12 “selfie danger” spots.
The families- Ketan’s father, Mahesh Agarwal, told reporters: “He loved her blindly. We told him to wait, to check. He said, ‘She’s 20, she’ll grow up.’ She grew up and killed him.” Siya’s family has disowned her. Her father’s statement: “We don’t know that girl. Our daughter died the day she planned this.”
The hoodie, again- In interrogation, Chetan said he wore the hoodie “to avoid sunburn.” In June. At 7 am. Police asked why he didn’t take it off during the 90-minute climb. He had no answer. That hoodie, meant to hide him, is what got him noticed. It’s now evidence item no.14.
Lohagad Fort means “Iron Fort.” It survived the Mughals, the British, and 300 years of rain. On June 18, it witnessed something weaker: a love that was a lie, and a birthday that ended with a body. Ketan Agarwal went for a sunrise. He never saw it. The two people he trusted made sure of that.
The ₹17 crore wedding will never happen. The Instagram account @siyagoyal_official is deleted. The cliff edge has a new warning sign. And Pune Police have a new rule: in June heat, anyone in a hoodie gets a second look.
References:
- Instagram https://share.google/dBoImJaPrqy0TucRF
- Pune trekker murder: CCTV clue, a hoodie in 33°C led police to killers – The Hindu https://share.google/Z4XDETYPQGIkfjTib
- Lohagad Fort Ketan Agarwal murder case: A hoodie in June heat, phone left at office led cops to accused Chetan Chaudhary – Pune News | India Today https://share.google/1odEjmPDNekRQ6wYN
- Hindustan Times https://share.google/vI1xdD9UWooWPuTUC
- The Times of India https://share.google/ejljhocajDD0HF9cT