Pune fort murder: Siya’s ‘sitting down’ signal was also meant to ensure her safety, say police

Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal’s fiancée Siya Goyal sat down not only to signal her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary to push him off Lohagad Fort, but also to ensure she remained out of the victim’s reach during the fall, police have said.

Mr. Chaudhary had also done his homework by travelling to the historical site on a scooter, avoiding a car because he feared it could be detected at a toll plaza, they said on Sunday (June 27, 2026).

Ms. Goyal (20) and Mr. Chaudhary (22) have been arrested for allegedly conspiring to kill 25-year-old Agarwal and pushing him off a cliff at the fort in Pune district on June 18.

An official said that as per the plan, Ms. Goyal was to give a signal by sitting down, following which Mr. Chaudhary was to come up and push an unsuspecting Agarwal to his death. They executed the plan perfectly, he said.

The two had decided that she would sit down either to drink water or on the pretext of tying her shoelaces. Sitting down was the signal, the official said.

However, it was also a well-thought-out move to protect Ms. Goyal.

“The signal was chosen deliberately so that Ms. Goyal would not be within the victim’s reach during the fatal push. They feared that if Mr. Chetan pushed Ketan and the latter tried to grab Ms. Siya while falling, she too could fall into the gorge. The plan was made keeping her safety in mind,” he said.

Co-accused Mr. Chaudhary had also taken great care to mask his presence as he followed Ms. Goyal and Agarwal on June 18. Police said he deliberately travelled from Pune to Lohagad Fort, a distance of about 90 km, on a scooter instead of a car.

“Chaudhary travelled to Lohagad Fort on the morning of June 18. He chose a scooter over a car as he feared the car could be detected at a toll plaza. We have seized the scooter,” said a police officer, who is part of the investigation.

After allegedly committing the crime, Mr. Chaudhary returned to Pune on the same scooter, the official said.

Investigators have also found that Mr. Chaudhary changed his appearance after reaching the fort.

“He climbed the fort wearing a hoodie. Later, he removed it and remained in a black T-shirt. While leaving, he put on the hoodie again,” the official said, adding that investigators believe it was done to avoid attracting attention.

Earlier on Sunday (June 28, 2026), police took Ms. Goyal to Lohagad Fort to reconstruct the crime scene, using a dummy to recreate the moment her fiancé Agarwal was pushed to his death, an official said.

The exercise was aimed at establishing the exact chain of events of the June 18 incident, he said.

The official said it was meticulous planning, and both have admitted that they had visited the fort to find a suitable spot to execute the plan and to do some “practice”.

“We are yet to ascertain which other spot they had practised at,” said the official.

As the police custody of both ends on Monday (June 29, 2026), they will be produced before the court, and cops will seek further remand, he said.

iyaPolice on Saturday (June 27, 2026) questioned Goyal’s father, mother and brother at length and recorded their statements.