Ketan Agarwal Murder Case: Why Pune Police Fear a Sonam Raghuvanshi-Like Legal Twist Before Filing Chargesheet

Pune Police are investigating the murder of Ketan Agarwal, with his fiancée Siya Goyal and her alleged lover as prime suspects. The case is purely circumstantial, lacking eyewitnesses or direct video evidence. Investigators are building a legally robust chargesheet, focusing on digital and forensic evidence to establish motive and premeditation.

Pune Police Aim for a Legally Robust Chargesheet

Determined to avoid procedural errors that weakened the prosecution in the high-profile Sonam Raghuvanshi case, the Pune Rural Police are taking extra precautions while preparing the chargesheet in the murder of Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal at Lohagad Fort. According to top Maharashtra Police sources, investigators are focused on building what they describe as a "foolproof" chargesheet capable of withstanding judicial scrutiny.

The investigation centres on Siya Goyal, Ketan's fiancée and the prime accused in the case. Police are also probing the alleged involvement of Chetan Chaudhary, who investigators claim was Siya's lover and co-accused in the alleged conspiracy.

Polygraph Test Sought to Generate New Investigative Leads

Investigators are seeking permission to conduct a polygraph (lie detector) test on Siya Goyal. Officials clarified that the objective is not to use the polygraph report as evidence in court, since such results are not admissible under Indian law. Instead, they hope the examination will help uncover fresh leads that can later be independently verified through legally admissible evidence.

According to police sources, if Siya inadvertently reveals details about online searches, planning or digital activity during questioning, investigators can attempt to recover that information independently through browser history, mobile data, deleted searches or location records.

As one senior police source explained, "The focus is not on using the polygraph report as evidence. It is to identify hidden facts that can subsequently be corroborated through legally admissible digital and forensic evidence."

No Eyewitnesses, No CCTV: A Purely Circumstantial Case

Police admit the investigation faces major evidentiary hurdles. There are no eyewitnesses who saw Ketan Agarwal being pushed from the cliff at Lohagad Fort, and no CCTV footage captures the alleged murder.

Investigators said the available CCTV footage merely places co-accused Chetan Chaudhary near the location wearing a hoodie, but that alone does not prove murder.

Police have also recreated the alleged incident using a dummy, but officers privately acknowledge that such demonstrations have limited evidentiary value. "The way a dummy falls depends on its weight distribution, angle and velocity. It cannot scientifically establish whether the victim was deliberately pushed or accidentally slipped," a source said.

As a result, the prosecution is treating the matter as a purely circumstantial case, where every individual piece of evidence must collectively establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Digital Evidence and Alleged Motive Take Centre Stage

Investigators believe the prosecution's case will largely depend on establishing both motive and premeditation. According to police, the central theory is that Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary allegedly conspired to kill Ketan because Siya wanted to avoid marrying him.

To support this theory, investigators are analysing mobile phone records, digital search history, electronic communications and other forensic evidence that could demonstrate planning before the alleged crime. Police sources say independently verifiable digital evidence has now become the backbone of the investigation.

Lessons Learned from the Sonam Raghuvanshi Case

Police say the Sonam Raghuvanshi case has become an important lesson in the importance of strict procedural compliance under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to investigators, procedural lapses in that case—including failure to properly communicate the factual grounds of arrest and errors in citing the relevant BNS provision in official documents—ultimately resulted in Sonam being granted bail, a decision later upheld by the High Court.

A senior Maharashtra Police source told News18, "Courts decide cases on evidence and legality. Even a minor clerical error or failure to follow the prescribed legal procedure can become a major advantage for the defence."

With no direct eyewitnesses or video evidence, Pune Rural Police are proceeding cautiously, ensuring every procedural requirement is meticulously followed while strengthening the digital, forensic and circumstantial evidence they believe will ultimately determine the outcome of the case.