The Pune Rural Police are preparing to recreate the crime scene at Lohagad Fort in connection with the murder of Ketan Agarwal, a 26-year-old real estate professional allegedly pushed to his death from the UNESCO World Heritage hilltop in Maharashtra's Sahyadri range. The reconstruction exercise, whose exact date has been withheld for investigative reasons, is aimed at verifying the sequence of events and testing the accused's version of what happened on 18 June.

What the Crime Scene Reconstruction Will Establish

During the exercise, investigators will attempt to fix the positions of Ketan Agarwal, accused Siya Goyal, and her alleged lover Chetan Babulal Chaudhary at the time of the incident. Police will also try to identify the precise point from which Ketan was allegedly pushed and assess the trajectory and distance of his fall into the ravine. A dummy body will be used in the exercise.

Because there were no eyewitnesses to the incident, the investigation rests almost entirely on circumstantial evidence. The reconstruction is a critical step in building a case that can withstand judicial scrutiny.

Key Witness: Neeraj, Chetan's Shop Employee

Among the seven individuals whose statements have been recorded so far is Neeraj, an employee at Chetan's dry fruit shop, who was detained and interrogated for more than 24 hours. Police said they found no evidence of his direct involvement in the crime.

According to investigators, Neeraj acknowledged that Chetan had used his mobile phone on the day of the incident. Chetan allegedly left his own phone behind and used Neeraj's device to communicate with Siya — a detail police consider significant. Authorities are now considering designating Neeraj as a key witness in the case.

A Series of Alleged Prior Attempts

Police allege this was not an isolated incident. According to the investigation, Siya allegedly made multiple attempts to bring Ketan to Lohagad Fort, which sits approximately 3,300 feet above sea level. The couple first visited the fort on 31 May. On 4 June, Siya allegedly pressed for a return trip, but Ketan's mother did not permit it.

Critically, during a visit on 14 June — four days before the fatal incident — police claim Siya allegedly attempted to push Ketan off a cliff. Ketan reportedly saved himself by grabbing a bush. When he confronted Siya, she allegedly told him she had spotted a snake and pushed him instinctively to protect him. He was killed during a subsequent visit on 18 June.

The death was initially reported as an accidental fall during a trek before the investigation shifted direction.

Background: The Alleged Relationship and Motive

Police say Siya Goyal, who owns a bakery, met Chetan Babulal Chaudhary, who runs a dry fruit business, at a business meeting last year. The two allegedly entered into a relationship in November 2025, even as arrangements for Siya's marriage to Ketan were underway. Ketan Agarwal was the Director and Chief Marketing Officer of his family's real estate firm, Success Group.

In her statement, Siya allegedly claimed that Ketan had told her his family was influential and financially powerful, and that she would not be able to leave the relationship even if she tried. These claims, however, remain subject to judicial scrutiny and are yet to be tested in court.

Family Reactions

Siya's parents have publicly stated that if a court finds their daughter guilty, she should receive the strictest punishment the law allows. In an emotional statement, they said she should be pushed from the same spot where Ketan allegedly fell — a remark that underscores the weight of the accusations against her.

Siya's mother, however, has offered a different account, claiming her daughter did not wish to go trekking and that it was Ketan's idea. She further alleged that Ketan's mother persuaded Siya to accompany him on the trek.

The legal process in the case is currently underway, and investigators say further developments are expected once the crime scene recreation is completed.