Nearly three weeks after 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal died after falling from Pune’s Lohagad Fort, what was initially believed to be a trekking accident has transformed into one of Maharashtra’s most closely watched murder investigations. While Pune Rural Police claim Ketan was murdered by his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her alleged boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary, securing a conviction will require far more than establishing motive.
Police allege that Siya, unhappy with her arranged marriage, conspired with Chetan to kill Ketan. Investigators have cited alleged meetings between the two, CCTV footage, phone records and an earlier failed attempt as evidence suggesting a planned murder. However, all these remain allegations that must withstand judicial scrutiny.
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Legal experts point out that the case rests almost entirely on circumstantial evidence. Unlike cases supported by eyewitnesses or direct forensic proof, prosecutors will have to establish an unbroken chain of circumstances that leads to only one conclusion—that Ketan was intentionally pushed from the fort.
Senior criminal lawyer Tanveer Ahmed Mir, who represented the Talwars during their successful appeal in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case, told India Today that police custody confessions have little evidentiary value. Instead, investigators must prove every circumstance independently and eliminate every reasonable alternative, including the possibility of an accidental fall.
The exact location from where Ketan fell could become crucial. The terrain, slope, footwear, injuries and trajectory of the fall may all be examined to determine whether the incident was consistent with a slip or a deliberate push.
Indian courts have repeatedly held that circumstantial evidence can secure a conviction only when every link in the chain is firmly established. If even one link breaks, the benefit of doubt goes to the accused.
As the investigation progresses, the Lohagad Fort case is likely to hinge not on sensational allegations but on whether the prosecution can conclusively prove that Ketan Agarwal’s death was a planned murder and not a tragic accident.
