Siya Goyal Studied Sonam Raghuvanshi Case Before Murder Plot, Say Police

The murder of Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal allegedly orchestrated by his fiancée, Siya Goyal, has drawn comparisons with the high-profile killing of Raja Raghuvanshi.

With investigators claiming the accused appeared to have studied the earlier case while planning the crime. Police officers familiar with the investigation told NDTV that while both cases involved victims being pushed off a cliff, they believe Siya Goyal and her alleged accomplice, Chetan Chaudhary, sought to avoid the mistakes investigators say were made in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case.

According to the police, the accused meticulously planned the crime, created multiple alibis and attempted to make Ketan Agarwal’s death appear accidental, making the investigation significantly more challenging.

Investigators said the breakthrough came only after sustained interrogation and the painstaking dismantling of what they described as layers of fabricated alibis. While confessions made in police custody are not admissible as evidence by themselves, they often help investigators recover corroborative evidence.

Asked whether Siya Goyal displayed the traits of a criminal mind, an officer associated with the probe said the alleged murder stemmed from a combination of personal, familial and societal pressures rather than a single motive.

“It was a crime born out of desperation. Her personal relationships and thought process led her to believe this was the only way forward. Family dynamics and societal expectations also played a role,” the officer said.

Another officer added that the investigation suggests there was no single trigger behind the alleged murder but a combination of factors that culminated in the decision to kill Ketan Agarwal.

“The intention was clear. The accused allegedly planned the crime, created alibis and attempted to avoid detection, prosecution and conviction,” the officer said.

Police also claimed that neither Siya Goyal nor Chetan Chaudhary has expressed remorse during the investigation. Both are currently in judicial custody.

Investigators believe the accused may have escaped suspicion had it not been for persistent questioning and forensic examination of the evidence. Ketan Agarwal’s family had maintained from the outset that his death was not an accident. Police, too, grew suspicious because the spot at Lohagad Fort from where he fell was not considered among the trek’s most dangerous sections.

During the investigation, police allegedly recovered evidence suggesting that Siya Goyal had researched the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case online. According to investigators, the browsing history on a mobile phone seized from her showed that she had read reports about the Meghalaya murder case while planning the alleged crime.

Police further claimed she had searched for information on whether women are assaulted in police custody and the legal rights of female prisoners.

Investigators have also seized a second mobile phone from the Goyal residence, which has been sent for forensic examination. They believe the device could provide further insights into the alleged planning and execution of the crime.

According to police, the investigation also revealed that both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary allegedly pushed Ketan Agarwal off the cliff together. Investigators believe this was part of the plan, as they suspected Siya alone may not have been able to ensure he fell into the gorge.

Meanwhile, Uma Raghuvanshi, the mother of Raja Raghuvanshi, said the Pune case reminded her of her son’s murder. She alleged that, much like in her son’s case, the accused had shown no remorse and expressed concern that bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi could embolden others accused in similar crimes.