Missing passport, failed trek, fatal cliff fall: Inside Pune groom’s final days

Dubai: Nearly two weeks before Pune businessman Ketan Agrawal died after falling into a 400-foot gorge at Lohagad Fort, a planned pre-wedding trip to Bali mysteriously collapsed when only his passport went missing.

Police now suspect the incident may have been part of a wider plot that culminated in Agrawal’s death on June 18.

According to News18 and NDTV, investigators are examining claims that Ketan’s fiancee, Siya Goyal, deliberately hid his passport to avoid travelling with him shortly before the alleged murder.

The couple, who got engaged in February and were due to marry later this year, had planned a pre-wedding photoshoot in Bali on June 6.

“They were leaving for Bali on June 6. Four people were travelling together, but only Ketan’s passport got stolen,” Ketan’s father, Vishal Agrawal, told reporters.

According to the family, all passports and travel documents had been kept together in a pouch inside the vehicle carrying Ketan, Siya, his sister and Siya’s brother to Mumbai airport.

The victim’s father alleged that Siya briefly returned alone to the parked vehicle after claiming she had forgotten her mobile phone. When the group later reached the airport, only Ketan’s passport was missing, forcing him to cancel the trip.

First attempt

Police say their investigation has revealed that Siya allegedly hid the passport to avoid travelling to Bali with her fiance.

The passport episode was followed by another incident that investigators are now treating as significant.

According to Ketan’s father, the first attempt on his son’s life may have occurred on June 14 during a trek at Lohagad Fort. He alleged that Siya pushed Ketan, but he survived after grabbing a tree. Siya later reportedly claimed she had accidentally pushed him after spotting a snake.

Four days later, on June 18, Ketan returned to the same fort with Siya. Police allege that this time she was joined by her lover, Chetan Chaudhary, and that the pair pushed him into a 400-foot gorge before attempting to portray the death as an accident.

Initially, police registered an accidental death report after Siya told investigators that Ketan had slipped while taking photographs.

Witness accounts, technical evidence

However, investigators became suspicious after examining witness accounts, technical evidence and information gathered during the probe.

Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said investigators relied on CCTV footage, call detail records and technical evidence to piece together the case. The findings, along with witness accounts and information from confidential sources, led police to conclude that Agarwal’s death was not an accident.

Police said Goyal and Chaudhary had known each other for about a year through business links in Pune’s Market Yard area. Investigators allege the pair conspired to eliminate Agarwal and carried out the plan at Lohagad Fort.

Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said investigators concluded that Siya and Chaudhary had conspired to kill Agrawal.

The case has shocked many because the couple were preparing for a lavish wedding scheduled for November. Earlier reports said the families had booked a palace venue in Rajasthan worth about Rs17 crore and arranged extensive wedding celebrations.

Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary have been arrested and remanded to police custody. Investigators are continuing to examine whether the alleged conspiracy began weeks before Agrawal’s death.

-- With IANS inputs