The parents of Ketan Vishal Agarwal, a 26-year-old businessman from Pune who was allegedly murdered by his fiancée and her lover during a trek, have demanded the strictest punishment for the accused.
Ketan was initially believed to have died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. However, investigators later concluded that he had been pushed to his death.
His fiancee, Siya Goyal, and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, have been arrested in connection with the case. On Tuesday, a magistrate's court in Pune remanded both accused to police custody until June 29.
Ketan and Siya got engaged in February and were scheduled to marry in November. According to reports, the families had booked a palace in Rajasthan worth Rs 17 crore for the wedding celebrations and arranged two private aircraft for guests.
Questioning the motive behind the alleged crime, Ketan's father said that if Siya did not wish to marry his son, she could have called off the wedding.
"If she didn't want to marry him, she could have refused and we would have cancelled everything immediately. Why take such a drastic step? What kind of mindset leads someone to kill a 26-year-old man?" he told ANI. "Society needs to reflect on such cruelty. Where does this mentality come from—family, upbringing, or something else?"
He praised the police for their swift investigation and urged authorities to fast-track the case. "The accused deserve the strictest possible punishment. It should send a strong message to society," he said.
Ketan's mother said she felt betrayed by Siya, whom she had trusted and spent time with before the engagement.
“She (Siya) betrayed me and lied. There was nothing suspicious; we didn't have a single doubt. I met her many times, and we went shopping and out for dinner together frequently, yet it never crossed our minds that she could be this kind of person," she said, while demanding the death penalty for those responsible.
According to police, Ketan and Siya had gone trekking to Lohagad Fort on June 18 to celebrate her birthday. Siya initially told investigators that Ketan had slipped and fallen into the gorge while posing for photographs. A rescue team recovered his body after a three-hour operation.
The case was first registered as an accidental death. However, further investigation uncovered evidence of an alleged murder conspiracy, leading police to conclude that Siya and Chaudhary had pushed Ketan into the gorge.
"Our teams examined multiple angles, including financial disputes and personal relationships. During the investigation, we found that Siya was in a relationship with Chetan Chaudhary, a resident of Kondhwa in Pune," said Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill.
Police said the investigation revealed that Siya was unwilling to marry Ketan and viewed him as an obstacle to her relationship with Chaudhary.
