"Being falsely framed": Father of accused defends son in Ketan Agarwal murder case

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 24 : As the investigation into the death of real estate businessman Ketan Vishal Agarwal continues to reveal shocking details, the family of one of the prime suspects has come forward to protest his innocence.
Babulal Chowdhury, the father of the accused, Chetan Chowdhury, insists that his son had no role in the tragedy that unfolded at Lohagad Fort on June 18, 2026.
Speaking to ANI, Babulal Chowdhury claimed his son is being made a scapegoat in a case that is far more complex than it initially appeared. He stated that Chetan had simply informed his parents he was heading out for a meeting, offering no details about his destination or companions.
"We have never seen the girl in question and know absolutely nothing about her," Babulal stated, referring to Ketan's fiancee, Siya Goyal, who has also been arrested. "In fact, I only found out her name, Siya, yesterday. He is being falsely framed and has no involvement in this matter."
According to the elder Chowdhury, Chetan maintained that he was a bystander to the incident. "He clearly told us that he did not push the boy and was standing far away. The girl was the one standing right there when the boy fell," he claimed, adding that while he does not know if Siya pushed Ketan, his son was "standing a little further back."
Babulal further alleged that the family had received conflicting signals from local law enforcement regarding the nature of the case. "The police have informed us that this is a minor issue and is actually a case of fraud," he asserted. "They assured us they would release the child to us within two hours."
Furthermore, Chetan Chowdhury's uncle, Udayram Chowdhury, also asserted his innocence and accused the media of presenting a one-sided narrative.
"Chetan is completely innocent in this matter. The media is hyping this up and showing a one-sided view on Instagram, but Chetan is not involved in it. Chetan is a sportsman and a very straightforward person; there has never been a single complaint against him from anyone in the market," he told ANI.
"Our family members do not know anything about Chetan's relationship with that girl; we had absolutely no idea. We even got a chance to meet him for a minute, and he told us, while crying, that he was being falsely implicated in this," Udayram added.
Contrary to the defence presented by the Chowdhury family, Pune Rural Police have built a strong case against both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chowdhury. The police investigation, which shifted from an accidental death report to a murder case after family members of the victim raised persistent suspicions, revealed that the murder was a planned conspiracy, with Goyal allegedly insisting on the trek to the fort.
Pune Rural Police suspect that the alleged conspiracy to kill the victim first took shape during a visit to Lohagad Fort on May 31. According to investigators, Ketan Agrawal and accused Siya Goyal had visited the fort on May 31, where Siya allegedly conceived the idea of killing him after noticing him sitting near the edge of the fort.
Police further claimed that an initial attempt to execute the plan was allegedly made on June 14, when Siya reportedly tried to push Ketan off the fort. However, after the alleged attempt failed, she shouted about spotting a snake and later claimed she had accidentally pushed him during the panic.
Investigators alleged that Siya did not want to marry Ketan Agrawal and had conspired with co-accused Chetan Chaudhary to eliminate him.
The probe revealed that Siya and Chetan first met at a Diwali party last year and later became close. Police said the two remained in constant contact over the past several months.
Officials further stated that before the incident, Siya and Chetan allegedly met at a cafe where they discussed the murder plan and identified possible spots on the fort from where Ketan could allegedly be pushed.
Both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary are currently in seven-day police custody till June 29 in connection with the case.