'Not mentally ready, under family pressure to marry': Cops' big claim in Pune fiancee murder case
Ketan, 26, died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18 NEW DELHI: The investigation into the death of Pune
Ketan, 26, died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18 NEW DELHI: The investigation into the death of Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal continued on Wednesday with the police claiming that his fiancée, Siya Goyal, was reluctant to go ahead with their marriage and was facing pressure from her family to accept the match.According to police sources cited by ANI, questioning of the accused and analysis of digital and circumstantial evidence suggest that Siya wanted more time for herself and was not mentally prepared for marriage despite her family's expectations."The accused was apparently not mentally prepared for marriage and was under pressure from her family to accept the proposal," a senior police official told ANI.Ketan, 26, died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18.
The incident was initially treated as an accidental death after Siya informed his family that he had slipped during a trek. However, police now allege that Ketan was pushed into the gorge by Siya, 20, and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, 22.A key breakthrough came after investigators reviewed CCTV footage from the fort. Officers noticed a hooded man following Ketan and Siya from a short distance. The individual, later identified as Chaudhary, drew attention because he was wearing a hoodie despite temperatures reaching around 33 degrees Celsius."While investigating the case, we stumbled upon certain circumstances surrounding the incident that raised suspicion and prompted a deeper probe. We checked CCTV cameras installed at the ticket counter of the fort, where we spotted Ketan and Siya walking together," a police officer involved in the investigation said."The man was wearing shorts and a hoodie.
The front part of the hoodie was pulled so low that his face could not be seen. Additionally, the man was wearing a headset over the hoodie. In another footage clip, we noticed Siya suddenly looking back and, at the same time, the man in the hoodie suddenly sitting down," the officer added.During the investigation, police learnt from Ketan's relatives that Siya had earlier expressed reservations about the marriage and had even asked whether the wedding could be postponed by a year. The couple got engaged in February and were due to marry in November at a palace venue booked in Udaipur.Investigators also found that Siya had repeatedly urged Ketan to visit Lohagad Fort.
Police claim she took him there on May 31 and later encouraged further visits on June 4, June 14 and June 18. Officers allege that an earlier attempt to push Ketan from a cliff on June 14 failed after he managed to hold onto a bush.
The BriefWire