'No Evidence on Who Pushed Ketan': Police Seeks Polygraph Test on Siya Goyal

Pune police on Thursday moved court seeking permission to conduct a polygraph test on Siya Goyal, the prime accused in the murder case of her fiancé Ketan Agarwal, after investigators said there was no direct eyewitness or conclusive evidence yet to establish who allegedly pushed him into the gorge.

Police told the court that the statements of Goyal and co-accused Chetan Chaudhary had already been recorded, but a lie-detector test was required to take the probe further. Police said the test could help them find fresh leads in the case.

Police Seek Lie-Detector Test

Reacting to the development, Goyal’s lawyer, Vipul Dushing, said the investigating agency had approached the court for permission, but added that “several legal and technical procedures must be completed before such a test can be conducted”. He also said the accused’s consent is mandatory for a polygraph examination, Times of India reported.

Polygraph tests are often requested in cases where prima facie or corroborative evidence is limited. However, their findings are not treated as substantive evidence in court and are generally used only to help investigators develop leads during a probe.

The case has drawn nationwide attention since Pune-based realtor Ketan Agarwal was allegedly pushed to his death from a cliff at Lohagad Fort on June 18. Agarwal was engaged to Goyal, and the two were scheduled to marry in November.

Police have accused Goyal and her alleged partner, Chetan Chaudhary, of conspiring to kill him. Both were arrested after the incident and remain in police custody till July 3.

Phone Evidence Under Scanner

Earlier on Wednesday, Pune Rural Police informed that investigators were examining whether any evidence had been deleted or tampered with from Agarwal’s mobile phone. Police said the phone had remained in Goyal’s possession for some time before she handed it over to his family.

As part of the investigation, police recreated the crime scene with Chaudhary at Lohagad Fort on July 1 to reconstruct the sequence of events. A similar exercise had been carried out with Goyal on Sunday, during which investigators used a dummy to recreate the alleged fall from the cliff.

Police said the investigation indicates that Agarwal’s phone came into Goyal’s possession after the incident. Forensic experts are examining whether any crucial data was deleted while the device remained with her.