Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday met the family of Ketan Agarwal, who was murdered by his fiance and her lover in Lonavala, and assured them that the guilty would receive the “harshest punishment”. The Chief Minister also accepted the family’s demand that senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam be appointed as a special public prosecutor in the case.
Senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam, who served as the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, is known for leading several high-profile prosecutions.
In a post on X, Chief Minister’s office said Ketan Agarwal’s father, Vishal Agarwal, met Devendra Fadnavis in Pune today and demanded justice for his son.
“We are committed to ensuring that the guilty in this case receive the harshest punishment,” the Chief Minister assured the family, adding that no stone will be left unturned in delivering justice to them.
लोणावळा ग्रामीण परिसरात झालेल्या केतन अग्रवाल यांच्या दुर्दैवी हत्येच्या प्रकरणात केतन अग्रवाल यांचे वडिल विशाल अग्रवाल यांनी आज पुण्यात मुख्यमंत्री देवेंद्र फडणवीस यांची भेट घेतली आणि आपल्या मुलाला न्याय मिळावा, अशी मागणी केली.
या प्रकरणातील दोषींना कठोर शिक्षा व्हावी, यासाठी… pic.twitter.com/JGAsQVCOvd— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) June 26, 2026
The Chief Minister’s office also said that family’s demand to establish a fast-track court and appoint Ujjwal Nikam as a special public prosecutor was also immediately accepted. Ujjwal Nikam has also given his consent to work as a special public prosecutor in this case, it said.
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Fadnavis has instructed the Secretary of the Law and Judiciary Department to set up a fast-track court.
Ketan Agarwal was murdered by fiance, Siya Goyal and her lover, Chetan Babulal Chaudhary by pushing him into a valley from Lohagad Fort in Maharashtra’s Sahyadri range, police has said.
The incident was initially reported as an accidental fall during a trek.
Siya had made several attempts to bring Ketan to Lohagad Fort. The couple first visited the fort on May 31. Four days later, on June 4, Siya pressed for another visit, but Ketan’s mother did not permit it.
On June 14, she persuaded him to go again. During that visit, police say she allegedly tried to push him off a cliff. Ketan managed to hold on to a bush. When he asked why she had pushed him, Siya claimed there had been a snake and that she had acted to protect him. Ketan was killed on June 18.
READ | ‘Ketan Agarwal Said I Won’t Be Able To Escape Marriage’: Pune Murder Accused To Cops
Meanwhile, Devendra Fadnavis while speaking with reporters after meeting Ketan’s family, said there is need to introspect why educated youth are increasingly developing a “vengeful and distorted mindset”.
He said that this is an extremely shocking and incomprehensible incident. As a society, we need to introspect on why educated youth from good families are developing such a vengeful and distorted mindset.”
He said this is not just a crime but also a social issue that needs serious consideration. “Society must create a strong system to ensure that such vengeful tendencies and distorted thinking do not develop among young boys and girls. Overall, this incident is deeply tragic, serious, and shakes the very conscience of society,” he said.
