Pune Realtor Murder: Secret Relationship, Forced Marriage Suspected Motive

Ketan Agarwal, Siya Goyal’s closeness to co-accused Chetan Chaudhary (L) was known to some family members.

PUNE: The investigation into the murder of Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal has pointed towards an alleged clash between a secret relationship and a marriage fixed by families, with police claiming that Siya Goyal’s closeness to co-accused Chetan Chaudhary was known to some family members. According to the police, the Goyal family became aware of Siya’s closeness to Chaudhary during a community cricket match in January. However, due to a significant disparity in financial status between the two families, the Goyals allegedly disregarded her feelings and fixed her marriage with the wealthier Agarwal family instead. Investigators believe the motive for the crime is rooted in a forced marriage and a secret relationship. “Preliminary investigation suggests that Sahil was aware of his sister’s relationship with Chetan Chaudhary (the co-accused). We are verifying if he had shared this information with other family members,” a police officer said.

‘Hair patch cannot be a reason to kill my son’

Siya Goyal allegedly told police during custodial interrogation that she disliked her fiancé Ketan Agarwal because he wore a hair patch. “Wearing a hair patch cannot be a reason to kill my son. If she disliked it, she should have refused the marriage. This is no excuse for murder,” Ketan Agarwal's father said. Police said Goyal claimed that ending the marriage would have hurt her family, and allegedly said plotting Agarwal’s elimination was “easier” than upsetting them.

Siya, Chaudhary deleted chats before and after Lohagad incident

The investigation has also found that both accused allegedly deleted their phone chats before and after the June 18 incident at Lohagad Fort, police said. “The mobile instruments have been sent to a forensic laboratory to retrieve the logs of deleted chats,” officials said. Police claimed Goyal and Chaudhary had been in constant contact for nearly six months before the incident, with 2,004 calls adding up to 238 hours of conversation. Investigators said the duo allegedly met at a cafe on the day of the crime to finalise the plan and identify the spot at Lohagad Fort where Agarwal would be pushed.

Brother questioned for 10 hours

The Pune Rural police on Friday recorded the statement of Siya’s brother, Sahil Goyal. Police questioned Sahil for nearly ten hours about his sister’s relationship with Chaudhary before allowing him to leave. “Sahil knows Chetan, and we cross-checked certain things with him. He was questioned for nearly 10 hours,” an official said. Police said more relatives and friends may also be questioned as the probe continues. Gajanan Tonpe, deputy superintendent of police for the Lonavala division, said investigators had established the alleged roles of both accused. “We summoned Siya’s brother for the questioning, and other members and friends will also be summoned. So far, the roles of both Siya and Chetan have been established in the alleged murder of Ketan,” Tonpe said. Police claimed Chaudhary initially denied being present near the cliff but his version allegedly fell apart during interrogation. “It was evident that he was lying,” a police official said. According to police, Goyal gave a pre-decided signal by sitting down, following which Chaudhary allegedly approached from behind and pushed Agarwal into the gorge.

Siya’s mother claims daughter did not want to go to Lohagad

Siya’s mother has claimed that her daughter was reluctant to visit Lohagad Fort on June 18. She said Agarwal and his mother persuaded Siya to accompany them. “On the evening of June 17, Siya and Ketan had a video call, during which Ketan asked her to accompany him to Lohagad. During the call, Ketan’s mother also spoke to Siya and urged her to join him. Siya told her that she did not want to go trekking, as there was a function scheduled for the following day and she wanted to rest,” her mother claimed.