India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
As the investigation into the death of businessman Ketan Vishal Agarwal continues, the father of one of the accused, Chetan Chaudhary, has claimed that his son is innocent and is being falsely implicated in the case.
Chetan Chaudhary, 22, has been arrested along with Siya Goyal, 20, the fiancée of Agarwal, in connection with the businessman’s death at Lohagad Fort on June 18. Pune Police have booked the two for murder and criminal conspiracy under Sections 103 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Businessman Ketan Vishal Agarwal died on June 18 at Lohagad Fort; his fiancée Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary are arrested and charged with murder and conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Chetan’s father claims his son is innocent and falsely implicated.
Police allege that Siya and Chetan, who were allegedly in a relationship, planned Ketan’s killing and pushed him off a cliff at the fort. Both accused have been remanded to seven days of police custody.
However, Chetan’s father, Babulal Chaudhary, said his son had told the family that he was standing away from the spot when Ketan fell.
“He is being falsely framed and has no involvement in this matter. He clearly told us that he did not push the boy and was standing far away. The girl was the one standing right there when the boy fell. I do not know whether she pushed him or not, but Chetan mentioned that he was standing a little further back,” Babulal told ANI.
Babulal said Chetan had not told the family about any plan to visit Lohagad Fort. According to him, Chetan had only informed his parents that he was going for a meeting.
“He did not inform me beforehand. He only mentioned that he had a meeting and was heading there. He had told his mother that in the morning, and he told me the same. He did not give me any other details before leaving after speaking with his mother,” he said.
He also said the family did not know Siya Goyal and had only learnt her name after the case came to light.
“We have never seen the girl in question and know absolutely nothing about her. In fact, I only found out her name, Siya, yesterday. I have never seen her before,” he said.
Babulal further claimed that police had told the family that the matter involved fraud and that Chetan would be released soon. Police have not publicly confirmed any such assurance.
Chetan’s uncle, Udayram Chowdhury, also maintained that he was innocent and accused the media of presenting a one-sided account of the case.
“Chetan is completely innocent in this matter. The media is hyping this up and showing a one-sided view on Instagram, but Chetan is not involved in it. Chetan is a sportsman and a very straightforward person. There has never been a single complaint against him from anyone in the market,” he told ANI.
The family said they were unaware of Chetan’s alleged relationship with Siya. Udayram said Chetan told relatives during a brief meeting that he had been falsely implicated.
Police claim a planned killing
According to the police, Ketan and Siya had gone to Lohagad Fort to celebrate her birthday, which falls on June 19. Siya initially told investigators that Ketan had slipped while taking photographs near the fort and fallen into a valley.
The case was revisited after Ketan’s parents raised doubts over the explanation. They told police that Ketan was an experienced trekker and was unlikely to have slipped from the spot.
Investigators later examined CCTV footage from the foothills of the fort and reportedly spotted a person wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled up and headphones despite the morning temperature being around 33 degrees Celsius. Police said the unusual clothing raised suspicion and helped them identify Chetan as a possible suspect.
Police have also alleged that Siya had made an earlier attempt on Ketan’s life four days before his death. Investigators claim the couple had visited Lohagad Fort, where Siya allegedly tried to push him off a cliff after telling him she had seen a snake. Ketan reportedly saved himself by holding on to a bush.
Another point being examined is the cancellation of Ketan and Siya’s planned Bali trip for a pre-wedding photoshoot. The trip was called off at Mumbai airport after Ketan’s passport went missing. Ketan’s family has alleged that Siya may have taken the passport during a stop in Lonavala.
Police have further claimed that Siya and Chetan were in frequent contact over the past six months and exchanged nearly 2,000 phone calls. Investigators also allege that the two met at a café before the incident and discussed how and where an “accident” could be staged at Lohagad Fort.
The investigation is ongoing. The allegations against Siya and Chetan are yet to be tested in court.
