What exactly happened in that moat of Lohagarh Fort on the morning of June 18th? Was Ketan Agarwal the victim of an accident or was he pushed? If so, who pushed him? And the biggest question: will the Pune Police be able to prove the murder charge in court without eyewitnesses and direct evidence? Amidst these questions, the investigation has now reached a new turning point.
According to police sources, the investigation team is preparing to conduct a lie detector (polygraph) test on Siya Goyal. Court permission may be sought for this. Investigating agencies believe that if Siya agrees to the test, the interrogation could provide answers to many questions that remain unsolved. However, according to the law, a polygraph test can only be conducted with court permission and the consent of the person concerned, and its report itself is not considered conclusive evidence in court.
Since Ketan Agarwal’s death, the police have been investigating the case. However, according to publicly available information, no eyewitnesses have come forward. There was no CCTV camera at the location where Ketan is said to have fallen into the ditch. This is why the investigation is now based entirely on digital and circumstantial evidence. The police’s investigation so far includes extensive interrogations of Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, forensic examination of their mobile phones, call detail records (CDRs), allegedly deleted messages, location data, CCTV footage, crime scene recreations, and statements from family and others. Investigating agencies are trying to piece together a complete picture of the events by connecting all these elements.
So far, no one has come forward to testify that Ketan was pushed or that he fell on his own. This is why this case is being considered different from typical murder cases. Legal experts say that in such cases, the court considers the entire array of circumstantial evidence. If all circumstances point to the same conclusion, and in any other investigation, the police are working on a number of factors including extensive questioning of Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, forensic examination of their mobile phones, call detail records (CDRs), allegedly deleted messages, location data, CCTV footage, crime scene recreations, and statements from family and others. Investigating agencies are trying to piece together a complete picture of the events by connecting all these elements.
So far, no one has come forward to testify that Ketan was pushed or that he fell on his own. This is why this case is considered different from typical murder cases. Legal experts say that in such cases, the court considers the entire array of circumstantial evidence. Only if all the circumstances point to a single conclusion and leave no room for any other possibility, is the prosecution’s case considered strong. A key angle of the police investigation is the alleged relationship between Siya and Chetan. Even if a relationship between the two is established during the investigation, this fact alone will not be sufficient to prove the murder charge. The court will also examine whether there was a pre-planned murder? Does digital evidence corroborate that plan? Do the circumstances at the scene match the prosecution’s story? Establishing a clear legal link between the alleged relationship and the murder charge will be crucial for investigating agencies.
Another aspect of the case has emerged. Siya’s family claims that she was not in favor of going trekking on her own and had expressed hesitation about accompanying Ketan. Meanwhile, investigating agencies are independently verifying the entire incident. Both sides will present their evidence and arguments in court. The police also visited the scene and recreated the entire incident. The purpose of this was to understand the match between the statements of the accused and the actual circumstances at the scene. Although experts agree that recreation certainly helps in the investigation, it alone does not constitute a basis for conviction.
According to police sources, the investigating agency is now considering conducting a polygraph test. The purpose of such a test is to scientifically analyze the accused’s answers to provide a new direction to the investigation. However, it is important to understand that a polygraph test cannot be conducted without court permission. The consent of the person concerned is required. The report itself is not conclusive evidence in court. If the test reveals any new clues, the independent evidence gathered based on it is crucial.
According to legal experts, a polygraph test does not directly declare a person guilty or innocent. 7 If new information is discovered during the test and independently confirmed, only then is it useful for the investigation. Currently, circumstantial evidence is considered the strongest basis for the police in this case. Meanwhile, apart from the investigation, another piece of information has come to light. It is being said that discussions were going on between the two families to strengthen the relationship. According to media reports, there is also a possibility of a future discussion between Siya’s brother and Ketan’s family about marital relations. However, the investigating agencies have not confirmed whether this aspect has a direct connection with the murder investigation or not.