Ketan Agarwal murder: Accused Siya and Chetan deleted chats, cleared recycle bins before and after Lohagad incident, say police
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Ketan Agarwal murder: Accused Siya and Chetan deleted chats, cleared recycle bins before and after Lohagad incident, say police")
Ketan Agarwal murder: Deleted chats may hold key to alleged conspiracy Photograph: (X)
Police probing the murder of realtor Ketan Agarwal say the two accused allegedly deleted chats from their phones and even cleared recycle bins in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence. Investigators have now sent the devices for forensic analysis.
The investigation into the murder of 25-year-old realtor Ketan Agarwal has uncovered what police believe was an attempt to erase crucial evidence. According to investigators, the two accused, Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, deleted their phone conversations from before June 18 and after the Lohagad Fort incident. The chats were not only removed from their messaging applications but were also cleared from the recycle bins of their respective phones, officials said on Friday.
The discovery comes as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured the victim's family of a speedy trial and accepted their demand for the case to be heard in a fast-track court.
Attempt to destroy evidence uncovered
"During our investigation, it was revealed that both the accused deleted their chats before June 18 and after the Lohagad incident from their phones. The chats were deleted from the recycle bins of their respective phones," a police officer associated with the probe said, as reported by PTI.
The mobile phones have now been sent to a forensic laboratory, where experts will attempt to recover deleted conversations and establish what transpired in the days leading up to Agarwal's death.
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More than 2,000 calls exchanged before murder
According to Pune Rural Police, Goyal, 20, and Chaudhary, 22, who were allegedly in a relationship, remained in constant touch for nearly six months before the incident. Officials have identified 2,004 phone calls exchanged between the two, amounting to roughly 238 hours of conversation.
Investigators have also claimed that the duo met at a cafe on the day of the incident and finalised the plan there. From the cafe, they allegedly headed towards Lohagad Fort in Maval taluka, where police say the exact location of the murder had already been identified.
‘It was evident that he was lying’
Chetan Chaudhary had claimed that he was not present at the exact spot where Agarwal fell into the gorge. That explanation, however, did not convince investigators. "It was evident that he was lying," a police official said.
Officials said inconsistencies began appearing in his statements during questioning. Eventually, police claim, both accused admitted their roles and narrated the sequence of events.
According to investigators, the final act unfolded through a pre-arranged signal. Goyal allegedly sat down at a designated spot, signalling Chaudhary to approach from behind and push an unsuspecting Agarwal into the gorge.
According to police, Goyal and Agarwal were scheduled to marry in November. Investigators allege that she did not want the marriage to go ahead and, along with Chaudhary, hatched a plan to eliminate him. Her family, however, has presented a different account. Goyal's mother has claimed that her daughter was reluctant to visit Lohagad Fort on June 18 and only agreed after repeated requests from Agarwal and his mother.
As investigators wait for the forensic analysis of the deleted chats, officials believe the recovered messages could shed fresh light on what was discussed before the fatal trip to Lohagad and whether the alleged conspiracy was planned over a longer period than previously known.
