Ketan murder: Siya makes obscene gesture at media

The prime accused in the Ketan Agarwal murder case, Siya Goyal, was caught on camera showing the middle finger at media personnel while being escorted by the police during the investigation into the sensational Pune fort murder case.

The video shared by media showed Siya being taken out of her residence in Pune's Market Yard area by the police as part of the ongoing probe on Thursday. Dressed in a black T-shirt with a printed scarf covering her face, she briefly looked at the reporters gathered outside before raising her middle finger at the cameras.

The video quickly went viral, drawing sharp reactions from users online. Many criticised her conduct, with several describing the gesture as insensitive and inappropriate in view of the serious charges she faces.

According to the police, Siya Goyal and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, conspired to murder businessman Ketan Agarwal by pushing him into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. Initially, Siya reportedly told investigators that Ketan had accidentally slipped and fallen, leading the police to register an accidental death case.

However, investigators later became suspicious after allegedly noticing inconsistencies in her statements and behaviour during questioning. The probe subsequently uncovered evidence that led to the arrest of both Siya and Chetan on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.

Police said Siya and Ketan's families had fixed their marriage, with the wedding scheduled for November this year. Investigators allege that Chetan was unhappy with Siya's engagement and considered Ketan an obstacle to their relationship, prompting the two to allegedly plan the murder.

According to the investigation, Siya had allegedly made an earlier attempt to kill Ketan on June 14 by pushing him from the fort. He survived after grabbing onto bushes along the cliffside. Police claimed that Siya then pretended to have spotted a snake to divert attention and reassure Ketan.

Investigators further alleged that she later persuaded Ketan to revisit the fort, where Chetan also arrived. The two are accused of pushing Ketan into the gorge from behind, resulting in his death.

Both accused are scheduled to be produced before the Vadgaon court, where the Pune Rural Police will seek an extension of their custody, while the defence is expected to seek judicial custody.