Wig conspiracy behind Ketan's murder? Father says Siya Goyal’s family knew about his hair patch

PUNE: The father of Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal on Friday met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought the death penalty for those accused of killing his son.Vishal Agarwal said he urged the chief minister to ensure the accused receive the maximum punishment."I have urged the CM that the accused should at least get the death penalty. The CM assured me that this case will be fast-tracked. I have been told that an SIT has been formed in the case," he said.A wig angleReacting to allegations surrounding the reason behind the murder, Agarwal said the issue of Ketan’s appearance was never hidden from Siya’s family."We had cleared to them (Siya Goyal's family) that Ketan used a small patch of wig on his head. Is this a reason to kill someone? As per my information, Siya wanted to go on the trek," he said. A police source told news agency PTI that Siya Goyal disliked Ketan Agarwal because he wore a wig. “It was true that Agarwal wore a wig, but it could not be said that it was the sole reason Siya did not like him,” the source said.Earlier in the day, Fadnavis described the case as "extremely shocking" and said it required deeper social reflection beyond just being treated as a crime."This is an extremely shocking incident, something beyond imagination. It is the kind of incident that compels us, as a society, to seriously reflect. Why do children from educated and well-settled families develop such malicious and destructive thinking? What are the reasons behind this mindset? We need to think deeply about it," he said."In reality, this case should not be viewed merely as a crime, but also from a social perspective. Society must consider what kind of environment and system needs to be created so that such cruel and revenge-driven thoughts do not develop in children at such a young age. This incident is truly very shocking," he added.'A signal'Police officials investigating the case said Goyal allegedly gave a pre-decided signal before Chaudhary pushed Agarwal to his death from Lohagad Fort on June 18.The duo allegedly decided to kill Agarwal instead of eloping, fearing it would bring disrepute to their families, police said."Initially, both tried to shift the blame onto each other, which is a common tendency among criminals during interrogation. However, Siya eventually admitted that she hatched the conspiracy and Chetan was also involved in the planning," said a police official who is part of the probe.Chaudhary, 22, initially claimed he was present at the fort but had not gone to the spot where Agarwal, 25, was pushed and did not know exactly what happened."However, it was evident that he was lying," the official said, adding that both suspects later admitted their roles and narrated the sequence of events.According to the police, Goyal, 20, was supposed to signal Chaudhary by sitting down, following which he would approach Agarwal and push him off the cliff. "They have told us what happened and how it happened. Ketan had no idea what was coming. He was pushed into the gorge before he realised anything," the official said.When questioned why they did not elope instead of allegedly killing Agarwal, police said the accused cited family reputation."They said eloping would have brought disrepute to their families," the official said.Police had earlier claimed that the accused took Agarwal to Lohagad Fort twice before and attempted to kill him, but failed.Agarwal and Goyal were scheduled to marry in November at a palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan.Goyal’s father also sought strict punishment for those responsible for the crime, saying that even if his own daughter was involved, she should face the same punishment."Ketan was like a son to me, and the loss had shattered both our families. We were eagerly preparing for the wedding," he said."Whatever has happened is deeply tragic. Even today we cannot bring ourselves to believe it," he added.He also denied allegations by Agarwal’s father that Goyal’s family had concealed facts about the relationship.They had no knowledge of any trouble between the couple or Siya’s alleged relationship with another person, he said.Goyal’s father described her as a "simple girl" who appeared happy about her upcoming marriage.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in PuneStay updated with the latest Pune news. Download the TOI App.