Lohagad Fort death case: Siya’s brother knew of Chetan link, warned her to end relationship, police say

Police investigating the Lohagad Fort death case said on Friday that Sahil Goyal, brother of accused Siya Goyal, had advised her to distance herself from her alleged friend Chetan Chaudhary as she was preparing to marry Ketan Agarwal.

Ketan, a Pune-based real estate company director, died on June 18 after falling from Lohagad Fort. Police are treating the case as a suspected murder. His fiancée Siya and her friend Chetan have been arrested and remain in police custody as investigators continue their probe.

Sahil was questioned for over 10 hours on Friday, with investigators seeking details about when he learned about Siya and Chetan’s relationship and whether other members of the Goyal family were aware of it.

“Sahil told us he came to know about Siya and Chetan’s relationship several months ago. He advised his sister to end it as she was already engaged to Ketan,” police sources said.

Investigators said Sahil and Chetan had met in 2024 through their shared interest in cricket. They played together, after which Chetan reportedly became friends with Siya through Sahil.

Police are now examining whether the Goyal family had noticed any signs of a possible conflict before the alleged conspiracy developed.

Pune Rural Police have so far recorded statements from 10 people, including Neeraj Kumar, an employee at Chetan’s shop. Officials have also taken the families of both accused and the victim to the fort to reconstruct the events leading up to Ketan’s death.

According to investigators, Siya and Chetan allegedly continued their relationship despite plans for Siya’s marriage to Ketan.

During interrogation, both accused have reportedly blamed each other for the crime, leaving police dependent on forensic evidence, digital records and witness accounts to establish the sequence of events.

Police sources said Siya was allegedly unhappy about marrying Ketan after discovering that he wore a hair patch due to baldness. Ketan’s family has claimed that Siya’s family was aware of the issue before the marriage discussions progressed.

Deleted chats under scanner

The investigation intensified after police allegedly found that Siya and Chetan deleted their phone conversations and cleared recycle bins before and after the incident.

Their mobile phones have been sent for forensic examination to recover deleted data.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Gajanan Tonpe said investigators had established the involvement of both accused in the case.

Fadnavis assures justice

The case has drawn attention from the Maharashtra government, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis meeting Ketan’s father Vishal Agarwal in Pune on Friday.

Fadnavis called the incident shocking and said it raised wider social concerns.

“It is an extremely shocking and incomprehensible incident. As a society, we need to reflect on why educated young men and women from good families develop such criminal intent and a desire for revenge,” he said.

The Chief Minister’s Office said Ketan’s father sought justice during the meeting and that the government was committed to ensuring the guilty receive the strictest punishment.

Fadnavis also approved the creation of a fast-track court for the case and accepted the family’s request to appoint senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as special public prosecutor. Officials said Nikam has agreed to represent the state.