No Proof Ketan Was Pushed, Police Move Court for Siya’s Lie Detector Test

Pune Police on Thursday approached 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 has so far found no direct evidence to establish who pushed the victim into the gorge. In its application, the police said that while the statements of Goyal and co-accused Chetan Chaudhary have been recorded, a polygraph examination is necessary to verify their versions and generate fresh leads in the case. Investigators argued that the test could help uncover crucial facts and requested the court’s approval.

The police informed the court that the case currently lacks eyewitness testimony or conclusive forensic evidence identifying the person who allegedly pushed Agarwal off the cliff. Investigators said they are relying on circumstantial evidence and the statements of the accused as the probe continues.

Although polygraph tests are not admissible as evidence in court, they are often used during investigations to aid questioning and develop new leads when corroborative evidence is limited.

The high-profile case has been under the spotlight 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.

According to the police, Goyal and her alleged partner, Chetan Chaudhary, conspired to kill Agarwal. Both were arrested after the incident and remain in police custody till July 3.

Investigators are also probing whether Agarwal’s mobile phone was tampered with after the incident. Police said the device remained with Goyal for some time before it was handed over to the victim’s family, prompting forensic experts to examine whether any data was deleted or altered.

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

The forensic examination of the victim’s phone and the outcome of the court’s decision on the polygraph request are expected to play a key role in the next phase of the investigation.