Ketan Agarwal death case: Court to decide on police custody as deleted chats, final phone call come under probe

The investigation into the alleged murder of Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal is expected to reach a critical juncture on Monday, with the police custody of the two accused—his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her alleged boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary—coming to an end. The two are expected to be produced before a Pune court later in the day, where investigators are likely to seek an extension of police custody, arguing that crucial parts of the investigation are still underway.

The prosecution is expected to contend that additional interrogation is necessary to complete the forensic examination of digital evidence and verify the sequence of events leading to Ketan's death. The focus of the investigation has increasingly shifted to electronic evidence. According to police sources, investigators suspect the accused attempted to erase crucial digital traces after the incident by deleting WhatsApp conversations from their mobile phones and clearing the devices' recycle bins.

Cyber forensic experts are now working to recover the deleted data, which police believe could provide vital clues about the alleged conspiracy and the communication between the accused before and after the incident.

Another key piece of evidence under examination is what investigators describe as the final phone call exchanged between Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary shortly before Ketan died at Lohagad Fort in Pune district. Police are analysing the call's timing, duration and technical details alongside mobile location records and other digital evidence to establish a detailed timeline.

The case has seen dramatic twists since Ketan's death during a trek at the popular hill fort. What was initially treated as an accidental fall later turned into a murder investigation after police said inconsistencies emerged during the probe. Following weeks of investigation, Pune Police arrested Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, alleging that they conspired to kill Ketan.

Investigators claim the two had planned the crime in advance, although the accused have reportedly given conflicting versions during custodial interrogation. Police sources say Chetan has allegedly claimed that Siya orchestrated the plan, while Siya has maintained that Chetan pushed Ketan off the cliff.

Investigators are treating both statements as claims that require independent corroboration and are relying on forensic, electronic and technical evidence rather than the statements alone. Over the past week, police have examined the crime scene, analysed call detail records, CCTV footage and mobile location data, and recorded statements from family members and witnesses.

Investigators have also reconstructed parts of the sequence of events leading up to Ketan's death to test the versions put forward by the accused. The outcome of Monday's hearing could shape the next phase of the investigation. If the court grants further police custody, investigators are expected to continue questioning the accused while awaiting the forensic recovery of deleted messages and other electronic evidence. If custody is not extended, the accused are likely to be remanded to judicial custody as the investigation proceeds.