Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 26 : In a decisive move following the tragic murder of Ketan Agarwal in rural Lonavala, the Maharashtra government on Friday approved the setting up of a fast-track court and appointed senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam as the Special Public Prosecutor in the case.
The decision was taken after the victim's father met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Pune and urged swift justice in the case. The Chief Minister assured the family that strict action would be taken against the accused and that the case would be fast-tracked.
During the meeting, the victim's father, Vishal Agarwal, demanded the death penalty for the accused and said he had been informed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had already been formed in the case.
"I have urged the CM that the accused should at least get the death penalty. The CM assured me that this case will be fast-tracked. I have been told that an SIT has been formed in the case," he said.

He further questioned the circumstances surrounding the death and alleged that his son was targeted, while also referring to statements made regarding the victim's appearance and travel plans.
"We had cleared to them (Siya Goyal's family) that Ketan used a small patch of wig on his head. Is this a reason to kill someone? As per my information, Siya wanted to go on the trek," he added.
Senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam stated that he had been appointed as Special Public Prosecutor after receiving a call from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who informed him about the family's request.

He added that the Chief Minister also described the matter as a challenge for Maharashtra and urged him to take up the responsibility, after which he agreed.
Speaking to ANI in Mumbai, Nikam said, "The entire nation has been shaken by this murder. This afternoon, I received a call from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He informed me that the Agarwal family had met him and requested that I be appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor in this case. The Chief Minister told me that this poses a challenge for Maharashtra, and he, too, requested that I serve as the Special Public Prosecutor for the matter. I agreed."
He added that Chief Minister Fadnavis has always stressed the need for utmost dedication in such matters, saying the rule of law must be upheld in the state.
"The police investigation is currently underway; we will only be able to disclose the status of the investigation once the charge sheet has been filed. This is a significant responsibility, as I have handled and continue to handle many such cases in the state of Maharashtra. The Chief Minister has always emphasised the need for us to work with utmost dedication. The rule of law must be upheld in Maharashtra, and with that sentiment in mind, I told the Chief Minister, "Yes, I will certainly look into this," he further added.
Meanwhile, counsel for accused Siya Goyal, Advocate Aashutosh Srivastava, said the matter is currently under investigation and the police have begun probing it from a murder angle after it was initially registered as an accidental death case.
He said the accused is fully cooperating with the investigation and added that, in his view, there are no independent witnesses to support the allegation against his client.
"This entire matter is under investigation, and the police are conducting the probe properly. Initially, it was registered as a case of accidental death, but the police later began investigating a murder angle, a process that is currently ongoing. Our client, Siya, is cooperating fully with the investigation so that the police can reach a proper conclusion, file the appropriate charge sheet, and bring the truth to light. As for this case, although the charge sheet has not yet been filed, which would provide more clarity, it is my view that there are no independent witnesses to prove that my client committed such a crime," Srivastava said.
Srivastava further stated that the defence will appear in court on June 29 and seek judicial custody, while any police remand request will need to be justified before the court.
"We all desire justice for everyone involved--whether it is the victim and their family or the accused and their family. We will certainly represent her on the 29th. Our stance will be to seek judicial custody for her. If the police request further police remand, they will have to present grounds justifying the need for it. Arguments from both sides regarding these matters are expected on the 29th, and the court will then deliver a decision it deems appropriate in the interest of justice," he further added.
Further, actor-politician Kangana Ranaut has also reacted to the alleged murder of 26-year-old Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal.
In an Instagram post, Kangana weighed in on the ongoing case, saying that parents should not be held responsible for the actions of their children. She also raised concerns about the influence of social media, artificial intelligence, and peer pressure in shaping young minds.
"These days just looking at the families, homes or parents, you can never be sure about the sanskars of the children. What is more important is that who is programming them? Who they spend time with, what are their influences on SM/AI or real life. Parents can not be blamed because people are living so many parallel lives, people carefully build desirable perception of themselves because it is all about how they are seen not how they feel or who they really are, so families can not be judged for children actions," she wrote.
Ketan Agarwal died on June 18 after falling from Lohagad Fort near Pune. Police are investigating it as a suspected murder case. His fiancee, Siya Goyal, and her friend, Chetan Chaudhary, have been arrested and are currently in police custody as the probe continues.
According to details from the Lonavala Rural Police Station, on June 18, at around 8:41 am, Ketan Agarwal's vehicle crossed the Urse toll plaza on the Pune side. He reached Lohagad Fort via the Pune Expressway within an hour.
He reportedly reached the base of the fort in about 22-25 minutes and proceeded to the top. Accused Siya Goyal is said to have reached the fort within 30 minutes, while co-accused Chetan Chaudhary followed at a short distance.
By around 10:15 am, all three were present at the top of the fort. At 10:40 am, a call was made from Siya's mother to Ketan's mother informing her that he had fallen from the fort.
It is further stated that Siya Goyal allegedly sought help from people present at the spot after the incident.
Siya and Chetan had allegedly planned a signal, after which Chetan is said to have pushed Ketan from behind while Siya was seated.