Ketan Death Case: Police Seek Lie Detector Test on Siya, Say No Evidence on Push

Pune Police seek court’s nod for Siya Goyal’s polygraph in Ketan Agarwal murder probe

Pune Police on Thursday moved a court seeking permission to conduct a polygraph (lie-detector) test on Siya Goyal, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her fiancé, Ketan Agarwal, saying the investigation lacks direct evidence identifying who pushed the victim into a gorge.

In its application, the police said statements of both Goyal and co-accused Chetan Chaudhary have already been recorded, but a lie-detector test is required to help investigators uncover fresh leads. The police argued that the examination could aid the ongoing probe and requested the court’s approval.

Investigators told the court that, apart from the statements of the accused, there is no eyewitness account or conclusive evidence establishing who allegedly pushed Agarwal off the cliff.

A polygraph test is typically used as an investigative tool when corroborative evidence is limited. Its findings are not admissible as substantive evidence in court but may assist investigators in developing further leads.

The case has attracted nationwide attention since Pune-based realtor Ketan Agarwal allegedly died after being pushed into a gorge at Lohagad Fort on June 18. Agarwal was engaged to Siya Goyal, and the couple was scheduled to marry in November.

Police allege that Goyal and her alleged partner, Chetan Chaudhary, conspired to kill Agarwal. Both were arrested following the incident and remain in police custody until July 3 as the investigation progresses.

Meanwhile, investigators are also examining whether any data was deleted or tampered with on Agarwal’s mobile phone. Police said the device remained in Goyal’s possession for some time after the incident before it was handed over to the victim’s family.

As part of the investigation, Pune Rural Police recreated the crime scene with Chaudhary at Lohagad Fort on July 1 to reconstruct the sequence of events. A similar reconstruction exercise involving Goyal was conducted earlier, during which investigators used a dummy to recreate the alleged fall.

Police said forensic experts are analysing the victim’s mobile phone to determine whether any crucial digital evidence was erased while it was in Goyal’s possession.