A case initially believed to be a tragic trekking accident has taken a shocking turn after police claimed it was a planned murder. Ketan Vishal Agarwal, the 25-year-old heir of his family’s real estate business in Maharashtra’s Pune, allegedly survived a murder attempt by his fiancée days before he was pushed to death from Lohagad Fort near Lonavala on June 18 — an incident that has sent shockwaves across the nation.
What Hina said about the case
Actor Hina Khan has now reacted to the murder case. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Hina wrote, “Aaj ke time mai sach sunna aur sach kehna itna mushkil ho gaya hai ki log kisi ki jaan lene ko bhi taiyaar hain (In today’s time to tell the truth and face it has become so difficult that people are even ready to take the life of another person)… It seems it is easier to take someone’s life than to accept the truth (sad face emoticon).”
She added, “You could have spared him, bas ek sach bolke (just by saying one true thing) and lived your life with any XYZ. Whyyyy?? Afsos (Regret). #Ketanmurdercase.”
Ketan, the director of family-run real estate firm Success Group and resident of Pune’s Lodha Belmondo in Gahunje, had visited Lohagad Fort on June 18 with his fiancée Siya Goyal as part of her birthday celebrations. Siya initially told police that Ketan had slipped and fallen while taking photographs near the fort.
About the investigation
An accidental death report was registered at first, but the case took a dramatic turn after the police arrested the victim’s fiancée and her friend, Chetan Chaudhary, on suspicion of murder on Tuesday. Ketan’s family alleged that his fiancée, Siya, who they said was otherwise never doubted, did display certain red flags in the run-up to the murder, citing an earlier push during a trek to Lohagad itself, which was reasoned by her as her attempt to save him from a snake.
It quickly emerged that she and Chetan had been in a relationship for over a year, and that she had tried in many ways to convey her reluctance to marry Ketan. The search led police to a suspicious figure captured near the foothills of Lohagad – a man wearing a hoodie despite the hot weather.
“When we checked the June 18 temperature, it was 33 degrees Celsius that morning. During scrutiny of CCTV footage from the foothills, we noticed a person wearing a hoodie with his head covered and also wearing headphones. This raised suspicion because such clothing was unusual considering the weather conditions,” said Dinesh Tayade of Lonavala Rural Police. The person was later identified as Chetan, who police allege was involved in the murder conspiracy. Investigators found that he had allegedly tried to avoid detection by leaving his mobile phone at his Kondhwa residence instead of carrying it to Lohagad.
Ketan had returned to Pune in 2023 after completing his Master’s degree from the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, to join the family business.
