‘No Eyewitness, No Evidence’: Siya Goyal's Lawyer Pushes Back as Ketan Agarwal Murder Probe Continues

The lawyer representing Siya Goyal, the woman accused of killing her fiance Ketan Agarwal at Lohagad Fort near Pune, has come out strongly in her defence, saying there is currently no eyewitness or solid evidence linking her to the crime. The statement comes even as police say both Siya and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, had earlier admitted to pushing Ketan off the cliff together, before changing their account during further questioning.

What the defence lawyer is saying

Advocate Aashutosh Shrivastav, who is representing Siya, said that anything said by an accused person while in police custody cannot automatically be treated as evidence in court. He pointed out that, as things stand, there is no eyewitness to the incident, and that an accused person cannot be forced into becoming a witness against themselves. According to him, his client has been cooperating with the investigation and has shared information that the police have asked for.

The lawyer also addressed comments made by Ketan's mother, who had reportedly described Siya as someone who drinks alcohol. Shrivastav said that being someone who consumes alcohol does not, on its own, prove that a person committed a crime, and that the law does not allow such an assumption to be used against the accused. He added that any claim about alcohol consumption made through hearsay should not be commented on, since it has not been established as fact.

On a separate point, where it was suggested that Ketan's family had limited awareness of Siya, the lawyer argued this wasn't really relevant to the case, since the two families had known each other for a long time regardless of how much they may or may not have known about each other's personal lives.

Shrivastav also spoke about the toll the case has taken on Siya's family, saying her father is currently in hospital and that the family is going through an extremely difficult period. At the same time, he acknowledged that if his client is eventually found guilty, that is something that needs to be established through a proper trial, not assumed beforehand. He said he has sympathy for Ketan's family but maintained that guilt in this case still needs to be proven in court.

What police are saying about the investigation

Police Inspector Dinesh Tayde of the Lonavala Rural Police Station said that statements from eight to ten people have been recorded so far, with more expected in the coming days. Both Siya and Chetan continue to be questioned, and Siya's brother has also been brought in for questioning as part of the probe. According to Tayde, the case is being examined from multiple angles, and a forensic team has been visiting the crime scene daily to gather evidence.

He further said that Siya and Chetan had, at one point, admitted to police that they had pushed Ketan together, but have since started altering parts of their statements during subsequent rounds of questioning.

What Siya reportedly told investigators

According to sources close to the investigation, when asked why she never simply told her family she didn't want to marry Ketan, Siya is said to have replied that she didn't want to hurt them, and that this was the reason she never openly refused the wedding.

She is also reported to have told investigators that she believed if Ketan died in what looked like a trekking accident, no one would suspect foul play. She reportedly pointed out that there were no CCTV cameras at the location, which she believed would make it difficult for any conspiracy to be uncovered later.

Separately, police sources say Siya also cited her discomfort with Ketan's appearance, specifically his hair loss and the wig he wore, as one of the personal grievances behind her reluctance to marry him. This detail remains an unverified claim attributed to police sources and has not been tested in court.

Background of the case

Ketan Agarwal, a realtor, died after being pushed off a cliff at Lohagad Fort near Pune. Police allege that Siya and Chetan had planned the killing in advance, using Ketan's interest in trekking to lure him to an isolated spot. The two are said to have visited the fort multiple times beforehand to scout a suitable location.

According to the police version of events, an earlier attempt was made on June 14, when Siya allegedly tried to push Ketan off a ledge during a visit to the fort, but he survived by grabbing onto a tree branch. She is said to have covered up the moment by claiming she had seen a snake nearby. A second visit followed on June 18, this time with Chetan also present, during which police allege the two pushed Ketan off the cliff together, resulting in his death.

The case was initially treated as an accident before investigators, working through call records, the movements of the accused, and forensic evidence, began building what they describe as a case of premeditated murder. The matter remains under investigation, with the defence now actively contesting the strength of the evidence gathered so far.

Read More: ‘I Didn't Want a Bald, Stammering Husband’: Siya's Shocking Reasons