'Killing Ketan was easier than telling my family': Siya Goyal's chilling claim in Pune murder case

Siya Goyal, one of the accused in the Lohagad Fort murder case, allegedly said during custodial interrogation that killing her fiancé, Ketan Agarwal, was “easier" than telling her family she no longer wanted to marry him, according to a report by The Times of India (TOI).

Police said Goyal also claimed she did not like Agarwal because he wore a wig. When questioned about why she never informed her family that she wanted to end the engagement, she allegedly replied that she did not want to hurt them.

Investigators claimed Goyal said pushing Agarwal into a gorge at Lohagad Fort appeared to be an easier option than confronting her family and cancelling the marriage. Police said they are verifying the statement as part of the ongoing investigation.

Police allege murder conspiracy with co-accused

According to police, Goyal had previously told Agarwal that she did not wish to go ahead with the marriage, but he allegedly refused to end the engagement.

Cops further alleged that she then conspired with her alleged lover and co-accused, Chetan Chaudhary, to murder Agarwal, TOI reported.

Meanwhile, Agarwal's father, Vishal Agarwal, rejected the accused's claim, saying his son wore a small hair patch and that Goyal's family had been informed about it before the engagement.

“Wearing a wig cannot be a reason to kill my son," Agarwal told reporters.

Brother questioned as investigation widens

As part of the investigation, Pune Rural Police questioned Goyal's brother, Sahil Goyal, at the district police headquarters on Friday.

Investigators sought to determine whether he knew about Siya Goyal's relationship with co-accused Chetan Chaudhary and whether he had shared that information with other members of the family.

Police said their investigation indicates that the Goyal family first became aware of Siya's closeness to Chaudhary during a community cricket tournament in January.

Investigators also suspect that differences in the financial backgrounds of the two families influenced the decision to arrange Goyal's marriage with Agarwal.

The investigation remains ongoing, with police continuing to question relatives and other individuals connected to the case to establish the sequence of events leading to the alleged murder.

Police detail multiple alleged attempts before murder

According to police, the accused made several unsuccessful attempts before allegedly carrying out the murder.

Police claimed that on May 31, Goyal accompanied Agarwal to Lohagad Fort, where she allegedly identified a secluded location near the Vinchu Kata ridge as a possible crime scene. A second visit planned for June 4 did not take place after Agarwal's mother objected.

Police further alleged that on June 14, Goyal attempted to push Agarwal off a cliff, but he survived by grabbing onto a bush. Investigators claim she convinced him the fall was accidental, regained his trust and returned with him to the fort four days later.

On June 18, Goyal and Chaudhary allegedly carried out their plan by pushing the 25-year-old into a 350-foot-deep gorge at Lohagad Fort in Maharashtra's Maval taluka, resulting in his death.

Police also alleged that Goyal threw away Agarwal's passport on June 6 as part of the preparations for the crime.

Investigators said they have recorded the statement of an employee at Chaudhary's shop, who claimed the accused left his own mobile phone behind on the day of the incident and instead carried the employee's handset to the fort.

Police further alleged that CCTV footage from a café in Pune showed Goyal and Chaudhary meeting several times between May 31 and June 4. The two are being questioned about those meetings as the investigation continues.