Why Lohagad? The fort Siya chose to kill her fiancé
"He was meant to stand by my side in my old age, to be my support until the very end, and one day light my
"He was meant to stand by my side in my old age, to be my support until the very end, and one day light my funeral pyre. But someone's criminal act has taken my son away from me," Vishal Agarwal said days after his 26-year-old son, Ketan, died after falling from a cliff at Lohagad Fort in Maharashtra. Police later alleged that Ketan was pushed by his 20-year-old fiance, Siya Goyal, who, along with her friend Chetan Chaudhary, conspired to kill him. Read Full Story For the grieving family, the question is painfully simple: why? Why would a woman who was set to marry Ketan in a few months allegedly plot his murder? Why did a relationship that had reached the stage of engagement end on the edge of a cliff? And why does the same fort keep appearing in the weeks leading up to Ketan's death? A devastated family is left searching for answers. Investigators may eventually establish a motive, but the events preceding Ketan's death tell a story of their own. Multiple visits to Lohagad Fort, a failed Bali trip, an earlier fall that Ketan survived, and a return to the same location days later have now become central to the investigation. India Today Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) team reconstructed the terrain around Lohagad Fort and analysed its elevation and geographic features to understand why the location repeatedly surfaced in the weeks leading up to Ketan Agarwal’s death The India Today Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) team reconstructed the timeline of the couple's visits to Lohagad Fort and analysed elevation data and terrain features to understand why the fort repeatedly emerged in the weeks leading up to Ketan Agarwal's death. In this case, Lohagad may not merely be the place where Ketan died. It may have been the place where the story had been unfolding all along.
India Today analysis shows that Lohagad rises nearly 600 feet above the surrounding terrain, with steep escarpments, exposed cliff faces and isolated stretches away from the main tourist routes. Originally built as a defensive hill fort centuries ago, several sections remain relatively secluded despite attracting thousands of visitors every year. One of Lohagad's most distinctive features is its narrow ridges and steep natural defences that once protected the fort from invading armies. The terrain can rapidly shift from crowded pathways to exposed edges overlooking deep valleys. Travel accounts of Lohagad frequently note how busy approach routes can quickly give way to quieter stretches along the fort's ridges and outer sections, where footfall tends to thin away from the main tourist paths. Timeline of the events leading to Ketan Agarwal’s death, from his engagement and repeated trips to Lohagad to the suspected murder plot that culminated on June 18 The pre-monsoon period, particularly during the summer heat, often sees fewer visitors. Combined with the fort's exposed terrain and isolated sections, parts of Lohagad can become relatively quiet despite its popularity. Yet the terrain alone does not answer the central question. The repeated appearance of the same fort in the weeks preceding Ketan's death, including planned visits, cancelled trips, an earlier fall and a return to the same location, adds another layer to the story. Ketan and Siya got engaged in February. On May 31, the couple visited Lohagad Fort together. Another trip to the fort was discussed on June 5, but it did not materialise. According to Ketan's father, the family felt there was little reason for the couple to visit the fort so often, though they did not suspect anything sinister. A planned trip to Bali on June 6 involving four people was cancelled after Ketan's passport was allegedly stolen at the airport, forcing the group to return home.
The BriefWire