Changed Appearance, Rehearsed Answers, And A Tea Shop: Police Piece Together Ketan Agarwal Case

Last Updated:June 28, 2026, 13:19 IST

Police suspect Chetan Chaudhary disguised himself, deleted WhatsApp chats and rehearsed answers before questioning as forensic teams continue probing Ketan Agarwal's death.

Investigators probing the murder of Pune-based businessman Ketan Agarwal suspect that Chetan Chaudhary, the co-accused in the case, deliberately changed his appearance before and after the crime in an attempt to avoid being identified.

It has also been learnt that both Chetan and the prime accused, Siya Goyal, allegedly deleted digital evidence and prepared for possible police questioning, according to an India Today report citing police sources.

According to the report, investigators believe Chetan reached Lohagad Fort wearing a hoodie with his face covered before allegedly following Siya Goyal and Ketan Agarwal towards the fort.

Police sources were quoted as saying that Chetan later removed the hoodie and placed it inside his backpack before approaching the victim.

Investigators suspect the move was intentional because Ketan had previously interacted with Chetan twice over video calls as Siya’s close friend. Police believe that had Chetan kept his face visible from the beginning, Ketan might have recognised him.

According to the report, police suspect that after Ketan was allegedly pushed off the cliff, Chetan wore the hoodie again, restoring his earlier appearance before walking down the fort.

Investigators claim he interacted normally with people while descending and even stopped for tea before returning home, allegedly attempting to avoid raising suspicion.

Police sources were also quoted as saying that Siya and Chetan allegedly anticipated being questioned during the investigation and had prepared responses in advance.

According to the report, the duo allegedly searched online for possible police questions and the punishment for such an offence before they were questioned.

POLICE PROBE DELETED WHATSAPP CHATS

The investigation has also turned its focus to the accused’s digital footprint.

The report mentioned that Siya and Chetan remained in contact over WhatsApp after returning home from Lohagad Fort following the incident.

Investigators suspect the two later deleted several messages exchanged between them and are now attempting to recover the chats through forensic analysis.

Police sources further claimed the accused were allegedly cautious about what information remained on their phones and what was removed as part of the ongoing investigation.

PTI also reported that police have claimed the accused deleted chat records from their mobile phones before June 18 as well as after the incident in an alleged attempt to destroy evidence.

However, officials said the investigation is continuing, and additional evidence is being gathered to corroborate statements made during interrogation.

CRIME SCENE RECREATED AT LOHAGAD FORT

Meanwhile, Pune Police on Sunday recreated the alleged crime scene at Lohagad Fort using a dummy matching Ketan Agarwal’s weight.

DSP Gajanan Tompe told ANI, “This morning, we brought Siya Goyal to the location, and the scene was reconstructed based on her account of the events. We created a dummy of the same weight as the victim, Ketan, for scene reconstruction."

According to ANI, police also seized Chetan Chaudhary’s two-wheeler, which was allegedly used to travel from Pune to Lohagad Fort on the day of the incident.

Authorities have also recovered the hoodie and headphones allegedly worn by the accused, and forensic examinations have been conducted on the seized vehicle and clothing.

Ketan Agarwal died after falling from Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18, following which a case was registered.

According to police, investigators suspect Siya Goyal was unwilling to marry Ketan and was allegedly under family pressure to go ahead with the marriage.

Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary were arrested on June 23 and remanded to seven-day police custody till June 29.

Separately, police on Saturday extensively questioned Siya’s parents, Pravin and Puja Goyal, and her brother Sahil as part of the ongoing investigation.

Officials said investigators are examining multiple aspects of the case, including the alleged planning of the crime, the movements of the accused before and after the incident, their digital footprint and the motive behind the alleged murder.

About the Author

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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