New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) As the investigation into the alleged murder of Ketan Agarwal gathers pace, the parents of the prime accused, Siya Goyal, have expressed shock over the incident, extended condolences to the victim’s family and said that anyone found guilty in the case, including their daughter, should face the strictest punishment.

Speaking on the Ketan Agarwal murder case, Siya’s father, Praveen Goyal, expressed grief over the death of the young man and said the loss was unimaginable for Ketan’s family.

Praveen Goyal said, “What happened is a very sad incident. I still can’t believe it. They have lost their son. I had so much love for him. I was so attached to him, as if I had started considering myself his son. Such a loving, talented, good boy, today we have lost him. As a father, I would say they lost their son; there’s no bigger sorrow than this. A few days back, they celebrated Siya’s birthday and dreamt of a better life ahead…”

Siya Goyal’s mother, Pooja Goyal, also expressed shock over the incident and said justice should prevail irrespective of who is found responsible.

Pooja Goyal said, “When I heard about this incident, I was deeply shocked. I kept wondering how something like this could have happened. The grief Ketan’s family is experiencing today is immense, but I feel even greater pain because two families have been devastated. Ketan was such a good person. If anyone is found guilty in this case, they should receive the strictest possible punishment, even if it is my daughter.”

“If my daughter is found guilty, then the person responsible should be thrown from the very place from which Ketan fell,” she said.

After Ketan Agarwal fell to his death from Lohagad Fort near Pune, which was later revealed to be an alleged murder, a security guard at the historic site revealed that the victim’s fiancée and an accused in the case, Siya Goyal, was shouting for help and said that “someone fell off the fort”.

Along with Siya, her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, is also an accused in the case. Both of them are currently in police custody.

The security guard said that he responded to screams, spoke directly with Ketan’s fiancée, Siya Goyal, and alerted police without delay.

“I came running after hearing screams. I asked Siya Goyal what happened, and she said that ‘someone has fallen off the fort’. I immediately informed the police,” Dheeraj Jadhav said.

He added that Siya Goyal was screaming, “Help, help”.

He mentioned that the fort has a 24-hour security presence, with a police station nearby, although network issues in the area can sometimes affect communications.

Responding to questions about what he initially witnessed, the security guard said he was in his duty area when he heard screams from a distance and consequently ran towards the spot.

–IANS

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