Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured Ketan Agarwal’s family that the alleged murder case would be heard in a fast-track court. He also supported appointing senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as special public prosecutor and called the incident a disturbing social trend.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured Vishal Agarwal that the alleged murder of his son Ketan, 25, would be heard in a fast-track court. Fadnavis met Agarwal in Pune on Friday and also agreed to the family’s request to appoint senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor for the case.
Senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam, who acted as the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial, has handled several significant and high-profile criminal prosecutions during his legal career.
Speaking to the media afterward, Fadnavis said the incident reflected a “disturbing social trend”.
Fadnavis said,
“It is extremely shocking and incomprehensible. As a society, we need to reflect on why educated young men and women from good families develop such criminal intent and a desire for revenge. This is not merely a criminal issue; it also has a social angle,”
According to a post shared by the Chief Minister’s Office on X, Ketan Agarwal’s father, Vishal Agarwal, met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Pune and sought justice for his son.
Assuring the family of strict action, the Chief Minister said that the government was committed to ensuring that those responsible face the strongest possible punishment.
“We are committed to ensuring that the guilty in this case receive the harshest punishment,” the Chief Minister assured the family, adding that no stone will be left unturned in delivering justice to them.
The Chief Minister’s Office further stated that the family’s request for the creation of a fast-track court and the appointment of Ujjwal Nikam as special public prosecutor had been accepted immediately.
Nikam has also agreed to take up the role of special public prosecutor in the matter, according to the statement.
Following the family’s demand, Fadnavis directed the Secretary of the Law and Judiciary Department to initiate the process for establishing a fast-track court to ensure speedy proceedings in the case.
Meanwhile, on Friday, police questioned Siya’s brother, Sahil Goyal, for more than two hours. Investigators wanted to know when he became aware of Siya’s relationship with Chetan and whether other members of the Goyal family knew about it.
Police sources said,
“Sahil told us he had learnt of Siya and Chetan’s relationship several months ago. Concerned about its implications, he advised his sister to end the relationship since she was engaged to Ketan,”
Police also said that Sahil and Chetan developed a connection in 2024 through cricket. Police sources said,
“They used to play cricket together, and later Chetan befriended Siya through Sahil,”
So far, Pune Rural Police have recorded statements of ten people, including Neeraj Kumar, an employee at Chetan’s shop. Investigators have also taken members of both the accused families and the victim’s family to the spot to reconstruct the events that allegedly led to Ketan’s death.
Police are additionally reviewing digital evidence to understand what happened around the time of the alleged murder. Officials said Siya and Chetan appear to have deleted their respective phone chat histories and cleared their phone recycle bins before and after the incident. The mobile phones have been sent to a forensic laboratory to retrieve the deleted data.
Gajanan Tonpe, deputy superintendent of police, Lonavala division, said investigators have identified the “active roles” of both accused.
Earlier on Friday, Vishal Agarwal, who addressed the media, was asked about a “wig” allegedly worn by his son. Vishal said Ketan wore a “hair patch” and claimed that the Goyal family had been informed of this “from the very beginning.”
Factual Backgrounds:
Police have alleged that Ketan Agarwal was killed by his fiancée Siya Goyal and her alleged partner Chetan Babulal Chaudhary, who reportedly pushed him into a valley from Lohagad Fort in Maharashtra’s Sahyadri mountain range. Ketan was a director in his family firm, Success Group, one of Maharashtra’s biggest developers of warehouses. The accused are his fiancée, Siya Goyal, 20, and her alleged partner, Chetan Choudhary, 22. It is alleged that Siya did not want to marry Ketan because she was in a relationship with Chetan.
The incident was initially believed to be a tragic trekking accident, with reports suggesting that Ketan had accidentally fallen from the fort. However, investigators later claimed that the fall was not accidental and was part of a planned act.
According to the police investigation, Siya had repeatedly encouraged Ketan to visit Lohagad Fort. The couple had first visited the location on May 31. A few days later, on June 4, Siya allegedly insisted on making another trip to the fort, but Ketan’s mother reportedly refused to allow him to go.
On June 14, Siya allegedly convinced Ketan to accompany her to the fort again. During this visit, police claim that she attempted to push him from a cliff. Ketan reportedly managed to save himself by holding onto a nearby bush.
When Ketan questioned Siya about why she had pushed him, she allegedly told him that she had seen a snake and acted in an attempt to protect him.
Investigators allege that Ketan was later killed on June 18, leading to a murder probe after authorities examined the circumstances surrounding his death.
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