Pune: The father of murder accused Siya Goyal has said his daughter should receive the harshest punishment, including the death penalty, if she is found guilty of murdering her fiancé, Ketan Agarwal.
In an emotional interview, Praveen Goyal said he was still struggling to come to terms with the allegations against his daughter and revealed that the shock of her arrest had led to a heart attack, leaving him hospitalised in Pune.
Father says justice must prevail
Praveen Goyal said he still found it difficult to believe that his daughter could commit such a crime.
“I still find it impossible to believe my daughter could do something like this. She never lied to me and always followed the right path,” he said.
However, he stressed that his emotions as a father should not interfere with the course of justice.
“If my daughter is found guilty, the court should not delay justice. She should be given the same punishment. As a father, I cannot say anything more than that,” he said.
In an emotional moment during the interview, he remarked that if the allegations were proved, his daughter deserved the same fate that investigators claim befell Ketan Agarwal at Lohagad Fort.
He also said that she could be awarded the death penalty if found guilty by the court.
Parents say they never suspected problems
Siya’s parents maintained that they had never noticed any signs of discord between the couple.
Her mother, Pooja Goyal, said the couple appeared happy and regularly met and spoke to each other.
“They used to video call each other, meet regularly and appeared happy together. Ketan even came home for dinner. We never got any indication that something was wrong,” she said.
Rejecting claims that Siya did not want to marry Ketan, Pooja Goyal said the family had spent nearly Rs 50,000 on preparations, including shopping for a planned pre-wedding trip to Bali.
“If she had told us she didn’t want to marry Ketan, why would we have spent so much on wedding shopping?” she asked.
Praveen Goyal described Ketan as being like a son to the family and said both families had been devastated by the tragedy.
Alleged conspiracy under investigation
According to the police, Siya Goyal and her alleged boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary, conspired to murder Ketan Agarwal by pushing him into a gorge at Lohagad Fort on June 18.
Investigators claim Siya decided against calling off the engagement because she feared it would bring shame to her family and allegedly plotted the murder with Chetan Chaudhary.
Police further allege that the duo made earlier unsuccessful attempts to kill Ketan before the incident at the fort.
Both accused are currently in judicial custody while the investigation continues.
Family denies concealing information
Praveen Goyal also rejected allegations made by Ketan’s father that his family had concealed certain facts.
He said they had no knowledge of any problems in the relationship or of their daughter’s alleged relationship with another man.
According to him, Siya had always appeared happy about her forthcoming marriage and never indicated that she was unhappy with the engagement.
The case has shocked both families and drawn widespread public attention due to the nature of the allegations and the emotional statements made by the victim’s and accused’s families.
Police are continuing their investigation and are expected to file further reports as the case progresses through the legal process.