Murder of Ketan Agarwal

The [...] of Ketan Agarwal refers to the [...] of a 26-year-old Indian businessman and realtor on June 18, 2026, at the Lohagad Fort, near Lonavala, Maharashtra. Initially reported as an accidental fall during a trekking trip, subsequent police investigations concluded that Agarwal was [...] as part of a premeditated conspiracy involving his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her associate, Chetan Chaudhary.

Background

Ketan Agarwal was a director and chief marketing officer of the Success Group, a Pune-based real estate firm. He was engaged to be married to 20-year-old Siya Goyal in November 2026. According to investigators, Goyal was in a secret romantic relationship with 22-year-old Chetan Chaudhary. Police allege that Goyal was under family pressure to marry Agarwal but desired to remain with Chaudhary, leading the two to conspire to eliminate Agarwal to delay or avoid the marriage.

Incident

On June 18, 2026, Agarwal and Goyal visited Lohagad Fort, ostensibly to celebrate Goyal's upcoming birthday. While at the fort, Agarwal fell approximately 350–400 feet into a gorge and died from his injuries. Goyal initially told police and Agarwal's family that he had accidentally slipped while attempting to take a photograph near the cliff's edge.

Investigation

The case was initially treated as an accidental death, but investigators grew suspicious after examining digital evidence and inconsistencies in witness statements.

Premeditation: Police allege the duo had planned the [...] for months. This included multiple "rehearsal" visits to the fort to identify a secluded spot where a fall could be staged as an accident.

Failed Attempts: Investigators claim that a previous attempt to kill Agarwal on June 14, 2026, was aborted after Agarwal avoided a fall.

Forensic and Digital Evidence: Authorities recovered Chaudhary's hoodie and headphones, and seized a two-wheeler he allegedly used to travel to the fort separately to avoid detection. Digital forensics revealed that the accused had researched methods of [...] online.

Crime Scene Reconstruction: Following the arrest of Goyal and Chaudhary on June 23, 2026, police conducted a formal reconstruction of the crime scene at Lohagad Fort to corroborate the evidence and statements gathered.

Following the discovery of foul play, the Maharashtra government announced the establishment of a fast-track court to handle the case. Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha member Ujjwal Nikam was appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor. As of late June 2026, both accused remain in custody as the police continue to compile evidence for the formal charge sheet.