Pune Rural Police have entered a critical phase in the investigation into the alleged murder of 25-year-old realtor Ketan Agarwal, who died after falling into a nearly 400-meter-deep gorge at Lohagad Fort on June 18. Investigators have now sought permission from a local court to conduct a polygraph (lie detector) test on Siya Goyal, Agarwal's fiancée and the prime accused in the case.
During court proceedings, police acknowledged a significant challenge: there is no conclusive evidence directly identifying who physically pushed Agarwal. The remote incident location lacked CCTV surveillance, and no eyewitnesses observed the fatal fall. This forces the investigation to rely heavily on circumstantial and technical evidence.
Authorities also suspect that crucial digital evidence, including phone records and files, may have been deleted both before and after the incident, complicating efforts to establish the precise sequence of events leading to Agarwal's death. Police further revealed that Ketan Agarwal's mobile phone remained with Siya Goyal after his death, raising concerns about potential evidence tampering before the device was recovered.
Why a Lie Detector Test?
The prosecution believes a polygraph test could help verify statements made by Siya Goyal and potentially uncover concealed information, generating fresh investigative leads. However, police clarified that while polygraph results can guide an investigation, they are not admissible as direct evidence in court. The test can only proceed if the accused voluntarily consents to the examination before a judicial magistrate.
Ongoing Investigation Efforts
The case was initially registered as an accidental death but was later converted into a murder investigation following forensic findings. Police subsequently arrested Siya Goyal and her alleged boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary, accusing them of conspiring to kill Agarwal ahead of his scheduled wedding. Investigators have recreated the crime scene multiple times using a dummy matching Agarwal's body weight to better understand the sequence of events. They are also meticulously examining digital devices, browser history, deleted chats, and location data to strengthen the prosecution's case.