Lohagad Fort Sees 25% Rise in Visitors Over 'Siya Point' Curiosity, Forcing Police to Shut Site Amid Murder Probe

Ketan Agarwal Muder Case: Pune’s Lohagad Fort has always drawn history buffs and weekend trekkers. Lately, though, it's drawing a different crowd and for all the wrong reasons.

Footfall at the fort near Pune has jumped by around 25 percent in recent days, but most of that spike isn't about the old fort walls or the view from the top. Visitors have been asking local guides to take them to a specific, unofficial spot on the trail that's now being called "Siya Point" named after Siya Goyal, one of the two people accused in the murder of 26 years old Ketan Agarwal. The rush got so heavy that police were forced to shut the fort down entirely to keep the crime scene and ongoing investigation from being disturbed.

What Happened to Ketan Agarwal

Ketan Agarwal died on June 18 after falling from Lohagad Fort. What started as a case of a fall quickly turned into a murder investigation. Police say Agarwal was engaged to Siya Goyal at the time, and their working theory is that Goyal wasn't ready for the marriage but was under pressure from her family to go through with it. Goyal's friend, Chetan Chaudhary, was named as a co-accused.

Both Goyal and Chaudhary were arrested on June 23 and have remained in police custody since. A local court has extended their custody until July 3 as the investigation continues. It's worth remembering that the case is still under investigation and both accused have not yet been convicted of anything.

Inside the Investigation

This isn't a simple case for police to close out, investigators have been going to unusual lengths to build their evidence.

At one point, Pune Police brought Siya Goyal back to Lohagad Fort to recreate what they believe happened that day, using a dummy weighted to match the victim's build. Police also seized the two-wheeler allegedly used to travel from Pune to the fort on the day of the incident, along with a hoodie and headphones they say Chaudhary was wearing.

More recently, police shut the fort again,  this time to carry out a forensic gait analysis on Chaudhary. The idea is to match his unique way of walking against CCTV footage that allegedly shows someone matching his description near the fort's gate on the day Agarwal died. Investigators also plan a fresh crime scene reconstruction involving Chaudhary, since only Goyal has been taken through that process so far, and they're hoping to recover clothing linked to him during the same exercise.

A Case Under the Spotlight

Given the public attention the case has drawn, the Maharashtra government has stepped in to fast-track it. A special court has been set up, and senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam has been appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor. This move followed a meeting between Agarwal's father and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, where the Chief Minister assured the family the case would move quickly and that strict action would follow if the accused are found guilty.

When a Crime Scene Becomes a Tourist Stop

What's added an uncomfortable twist to this story is how the public has responded to it. Instead of staying away, more people have been showing up at Lohagad Fort specifically to see where the incident happened. Local guides say tourists now ask by name for "Siya Point," treating an active murder investigation site like a sightseeing stop.

That kind of foot traffic doesn't mix well with an ongoing forensic investigation. Evidence gathering, crime scene reconstructions, and gait analysis all need an undisturbed environment,  something impossible to guarantee with tourists wandering through. Police ultimately decided the only way to protect the integrity of their work was to shut the fort to visitors altogether, at least for now.

Read More: Who Is Siya Goyal's Real Lawyer? Bizarre Row Erupts As Advocate Aashutosh Sends Rs 10 Crore Notice To Sahil Goyal, Demands Apology