Expressway Stop, Argument With Brother: Cab Driver Recalls Siya Goyal's Actions Before Bali Trip

Last Updated:June 29, 2026, 08:13 IST

Cab driver's account of a stop on the expressway before Ketan Agarwal's passport vanished, on the way to the Mumbai airport, has added a new dimension to the murder probe.

The investigation into the murder of 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal has taken a fresh turn after the cab driver who ferried Ketan and his fiancée, Siya Goyal, to the Mumbai airport claimed that she asked him to stop on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and opened the car’s boot shortly before Ketan’s passport was reported missing.

The development has assumed significance as investigators probe the disappearance of Ketan’s passport before the couple’s planned visit to Bali for a pre-wedding photoshoot.

The claims were made by cab driver Vaibhav Jadhav in an exclusive conversation with Aaj Tak.

According to the report, Jadhav said he picked up the passengers from Pune at around 10 am.

According to him, Siya initially refused to get into the cab and her brother, Sahil, forced her to sit inside the vehicle. The cab then reached Ravet, where Ketan boarded before the group proceeded towards the Mumbai airport.

While travelling on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Siya asked the driver to stop at a food mall for tea, Jadhav claimed.

According to the driver, around 10 minutes later, Siya returned to the vehicle and asked him to open the boot.

“I opened the boot. She took out something from her purse from the boot area," Jadhav alleged, adding that he did not know what the item was.

He said that after another 15 to 20 minutes, the passengers returned to the vehicle and the journey resumed.

Jadhav further claimed that Siya and her brother Sahil argued throughout the drive from Pune to Ravet, before Ketan joined the journey.

The driver was further quoted as saying that he dropped all three passengers at the Mumbai airport. About two minutes later, he received a call informing him that a small bag had been left behind in the cab. He said he had driven around 200 metres before returning and handing over the bag.

The driver alleged that after driving another 500 metres, he received another call claiming that Ketan’s passport had been left inside the cab.

“I had already checked the vehicle and told them the passport was not inside," Jadhav said.

He further claimed that he was then asked to make a video call so the passengers could inspect the cab remotely. Even after showing the interior of the vehicle, the passport could not be found.

According to Jadhav, he was later asked to return to the airport, where Sahil and Ketan searched the cab themselves.

Despite a physical search of the vehicle, the passport was still not located, he claimed.

PASSPORT EPISODE ALREADY UNDER POLICE SCANNER

The missing passport derailed the couple’s planned pre-wedding photoshoot in Bali. Ketan’s father had earlier alleged that Siya deliberately hid the passport to sabotage the trip. Police were also investigating whether this was one of several alleged attempts to target Ketan before his death.

Investigators further allege that Siya had made an earlier attempt on Ketan’s life at Lohagad Fort on June 14.

According to the police, she allegedly pushed him near a cliff edge, but he managed to save himself by grabbing onto a bush.

To avoid suspicion, she allegedly screamed about spotting a snake before hugging him, creating the impression that she was trying to protect him.

Police believe that when the alleged attempt failed, Siya and co-accused Chetan Chaudhary executed another plan on June 18.

Investigators have also reportedly found references to a ‘Plan C’, which they suspect the duo intended to carry out if earlier attempts did not succeed.

CCTV FOOTAGE LED INVESTIGATORS TO CHETAN

The investigation, which initially began as a case of an accidental fall during a trek at Lohagad Fort on June 18, changed direction after police examined CCTV footage from the area.

The footage allegedly showed Ketan walking with Siya while a man wearing shorts, a hoodie, and headphones followed them from about 20 to 30 feet away, his face concealed under the hood.

Another CCTV clip reportedly showed Siya suddenly turning around and looking towards the hooded man, who immediately sat down, apparently attempting to avoid drawing attention to himself.

Police reportedly found the attire suspicious because temperatures were around 33 degrees Celsius on the day of the trek.

Investigators later compared CCTV images with photographs from Chetan Chaudhary’s social media profiles and identified him as the hooded individual.

The report further said investigators also examined technical and digital evidence linking Siya and Chetan. Police allegedly found that the two had exchanged 2,004 phone calls over the past seven months, totalling nearly 238 hours of conversation.

According to investigators, Siya had earlier expressed reluctance to marry Ketan, with his uncle telling police that she had once suggested postponing the wedding by a year.

Police allege that Siya and Chetan, who reportedly met at a business event, were in a relationship and viewed Ketan as an obstacle.

It was learnt that Siya persuaded Ketan to visit Lohagad Fort under the pretext of a casual outing before the two allegedly pushed him into a gorge from behind.

CRIME SCENE RECREATED, EVIDENCE SEIZED

In the latest development, the Pune Police on Sunday took Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary to Lohagad Fort to recreate the alleged crime scene using a dummy matching Ketan’s weight.

Investigators also seized the two-wheeler allegedly used by Chetan to travel from Pune to Lohagad Fort.

Police have also recovered the hoodie and headphones he was allegedly wearing on the day of the incident, and forensic examinations were conducted on the seized articles.

Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary were arrested on June 23 and remanded to seven days of police custody.

The Maharashtra government has approved the setting up of a fast-track court in the case and appointed senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam as the Special Public Prosecutor after Ketan’s father met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought swift justice.

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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