A planned Bali trip was cancelled for Ketan Agarwal after his passport was allegedly stolen, an incident his family now views as suspicious in light of the murder investigation.

NEW DELHI: A cancelled Bali holiday, a mysteriously missing passport and a trek that ended in death have emerged as key elements in the police investigation into the alleged murder of 26-year-old Pune resident Ketan Agarwal. The death that was initially reported as accident was later decoded to be a plot by his fiancée Siya Goyal and her friend Chetan Chaudhary were on Tuesday remanded to police custody until June 29.Ketan’s father, Vishal Agrawal recalled when Ketan, who was joined by three more of his friends including Siya, on a trip to Bali suddenly lost his passport after reaching to the airport for a planned Bali trip.“They were leaving for Bali on the 6th, four people were travelling to Bali together, but only Ketan’s passport got stolen. Because of that, he couldn’t go and had to return from the airport…Chetan Chaudhary arrived at the Lohagad Fort on a two-wheeler…The two (Chetan Chaudhary and Siya Goyal) went up together, hit Ketan Vishal Agarwal with an object, and threw him down from the top…The police were helpful and resolved the case very quickly,” he said.The victim’s father said Goyal and Agarwal had become engaged in February and questioned why the couple allegedly chose violence instead of ending the relationship.“Chetan Chaudhary was arrested last night, and Siya was arrested this morning. They are now being produced in court…If she didn’t want to get married, she could have simply refused; we would have cancelled the wedding immediately. Why did they decide to take such a drastic step? What kind of mindset do they have? Their mindset is so cruel that someone’s 26-year-old son could be killed…Society needs to take note of such a cruel mindset. Where does this ideology come from, their family, their upbringing?” he asked.He also praised the police investigation and urged authorities to ensure a speedy trial.“My only appeal to the government is that this case be fast-tracked at any cost…The accused are punished as quickly as possible…They deserve the strictest possible punishment to send a clear message to everyone,” he said.Police said the investigation is continuing and further evidence is being examined.The magistrate court’s order came days after Lonavala Rural Police registered a murder case against Goyal and Chaudhary. Both were arrested after investigators said evidence gathered from witnesses, technical analysis and confidential sources pointed to a conspiracy behind Agarwal’s death.Advocate Ram Shahane, representing Chaudhary, said the defence had opposed the police’s request for custody.“We strongly opposed the police custody and considering our arguments the court granted seven days police custody to both the accused,” he said.According to Pune Rural Police Superintendent Sandeep Singh Gill, both accused have confessed during interrogation. He said Goyal and Agarwal, who were engaged, visited Lohagad Fort on June 18, after which Goyal informed authorities that her fiancé had slipped and fallen to his death.However, investigators became suspicious after speaking to family members and friends.“Subsequent inquiries and information gathered from relatives and friends raised suspicions; it seemed unlikely for such an accident to occur spontaneously, especially given that Ketan was an experienced trekker. The family expressed doubts, and a formal complaint was lodged based on these suspicions,” Gill said.Police later uncovered evidence linking Goyal and Chaudhary, who had known each other for about a year.“The two had known each other for about a year. They conspired to execute this plan; at Lohagad Fort, they pushed Ketan Agarwal, causing him to fall to his death. Consequently, the Lonavala Rural Police Station has registered a murder case against them. Both individuals have been taken into custody; during interrogation, they confessed to the crime, and further investigation is currently underway,” he said.As investigators pieced together the alleged conspiracy, Agarwal’s family pointed to an earlier incident that they now believe may have been significant: a cancelled trip to Bali after only his passport reportedly went missing.