Pune Rural Police have shifted the investigation into the death of 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal into a critical phase, arranging a comprehensive recreation of events at Lohagad Fort to verify competing accounts of what transpired on the day he died. The exercise represents a key investigative strategy in a case that has been hampered by the absence of direct witnesses to the alleged crime, forcing authorities to rely instead on circumstantial evidence and the testimony of those connected to the incident.
The planned reconstruction will scrutinise the movements and positions of three individuals—the deceased Ketan, accused Siya Goyal, and her alleged accomplice Chetan Babulal Chaudhary—at various points around the fort. Investigators intend to map the likely location from which Ketan was allegedly pushed, trace the trajectory of his fall into the ravine below, and assess whether the accused's explanations for how events unfolded are physically plausible. A dummy body will be deployed during the exercise to aid in these assessments. Authorities have maintained strict confidentiality around the timing of the reconstruction, citing both security considerations and the need to protect the integrity of ongoing investigative work.
What began as a routine trekking tragedy has transformed into a complex murder inquiry following police allegations that Siya and Chetan deliberately killed Ketan at the Sahyadri range fort. The investigation has revealed a timeline suggesting premeditation. According to police, Siya made multiple attempts to bring Ketan to Lohagad Fort—the couple first visited together on May 31, after which Siya allegedly sought a second visit on June 4 that was blocked by Ketan's mother. During a third outing on June 14, investigators claim Siya attempted to push Ketan off a cliff, but he survived by gripping a bush. When confronted, Siya allegedly claimed she had seen a snake and pushed him in self-defence. The fatal incident is said to have occurred during a subsequent visit on June 18.
The motive authorities have constructed centres on Siya's unhappiness with her marriage to Ketan. Police allege that Siya believed Ketan's family wielded considerable financial and social influence that would trap her in the marriage indefinitely. This alleged resentment reportedly intensified after Siya met Chetan at a business conference last year and began a relationship with him in November 2025, even as wedding preparations for her marriage to Ketan progressed. The three individuals came from starkly different professional backgrounds—Ketan held the position of Director and Chief Marketing Officer at his family's real estate firm, Success Group; Siya operated a bakery business; and Chetan ran a dry fruit enterprise.
The investigation has so far resulted in statements being recorded from seven individuals connected to the case. Among those questioned was Neeraj, an employee at Chetan's shop, who was detained and interrogated for over 24 hours. While police found no direct evidence implicating Neeraj in the alleged crime, they claim he provided crucial information about Chetan's communications. According to investigators, Chetan deliberately left his own mobile telephone behind on the day of the incident and instead borrowed Neeraj's phone to contact Siya. Police are now considering elevating Neeraj's status from suspect to key witness, given his potential ability to corroborate the timeline of communications between the two accused.
The absence of eyewitnesses has forced detectives to construct their case methodically, examining events both preceding and following Ketan's death with meticulous care. Every detail of the movements, communications, and relationships involved is being scrutinised to establish a coherent narrative that prosecutors can present before the courts. The reconstruction exercise at Lohagad Fort will serve as a critical test of the police theory, allowing investigators to determine whether the physical evidence and spatial relationships at the site support the account given by the accused or suggest alternative explanations.
Siya Goyal's parents have responded to the allegations against their daughter with a statement expressing acceptance of judicial authority while simultaneously demanding accountability. They declared that if a court concludes their daughter is guilty, she should face the maximum punishment available under Indian law. In a notably severe emotional statement, they suggested that Siya should herself be pushed from the same location at Lohagad Fort where Ketan allegedly fell to his death—a remark that reflects the gravity of their understanding of the charges and perhaps their own disassociation from their daughter's alleged conduct.
However, the narrative presented by police is contested by Siya's mother, who has offered an alternative account of events. She maintains that her daughter had no desire to undertake the trekking expedition to Lohagad Fort and asserts instead that Ketan himself proposed the trip. According to this version, Ketan's mother subsequently pressured Siya into accompanying him on the outing. This contradictory testimony underscores the contested nature of the facts and the importance of the forthcoming crime scene reconstruction in resolving discrepancies between accounts.
The legal proceedings remain in motion as the investigation continues, with various court processes running parallel to the police inquiry. The reconstruction exercise, pending judicial and administrative approvals, is expected to provide crucial evidence regarding the physical feasibility of the police narrative. For Malaysian observers and regional readers, the case illustrates how modern criminal investigations increasingly rely on technical analysis, digital forensics, and staged recreations to bridge evidentiary gaps in cases lacking direct witnesses—a methodology that has become standard across major police forces in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The handling of this high-profile case also reflects broader tensions within Indian criminal justice regarding the role of circumstantial evidence, the burden of proof, and the investigative techniques permissible in serious felonies. As the Pune Rural Police prepare their reconstruction, they face the challenge of presenting a coherent and physically defensible theory of the crime while respecting due process and the rights of the accused. The forthcoming exercise will likely become a pivotal moment in determining whether sufficient evidence exists to substantiate the murder allegations or whether reasonable doubt persists regarding the true nature of Ketan Agarwal's death at Lohagad Fort.
