Siya, her boyfriend deleted chats, recycle bin before and after killing Ketan: Cops
Police said Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary deleted chats before and after Ketan Agarwal's death at Lohagad Fort. The claim surfaced as investigators sent both phones for forensic recovery and the state approved a fast-track trial.
Murdered Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal's fiance, Siya Goyal, and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, deleted chats from their mobile phones both before the June 18 murder and again after Agarwal was pushed to his death from Lohagad Fort in an apparent bid to destroy evidence, a police officer associated with the investigation told PTI on Friday.
The revelation came as the Maharashtra government accepted the Agarwal family's demand for a fast-track trial in the sensational murder case and agreed to appoint noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor.
PHONES SENT FOR FORENSIC ANALYSIS
"Our investigation has shown that both the accused deleted their chats from their phones before June 18 and again after the Lohagad incident," the investigating officer told PTI.
The officer said both mobile phones have been sent to a forensic laboratory, where experts are attempting to retrieve the deleted conversations that investigators believe could provide crucial evidence about the alleged conspiracy.
According to police, Goyal, 20, and Chaudhary, 22, who were allegedly in a relationship, exchanged 2,004 phone calls, spending nearly 238 hours speaking to each other before the murder.
POLICE ALLEGE MURDER WAS METICULOUSLY PLANNED
Police have alleged that Goyal and Chaudhary conspired to eliminate 25-year-old Agarwal, who was engaged to Goyal and was scheduled to marry her in November.
Investigators claim the duo met at a caf on the day of the incident, discussed their plan and identified a suitable location on Lohagad Fort from where Agarwal could be pushed.
Earlier, another police officer had told PTI that the conspiracy was executed exactly as planned.
"As per the plan, Siya was to give a signal by sitting down, following which Chetan was to come up and push Ketan to his death. They executed the plan exactly," the officer had said. "They have told us what happened and how it happened. Ketan had no idea what was coming," the officer added.
Police also claimed that Chaudhary initially denied being present at the exact spot where Agarwal was pushed and claimed ignorance about the incident.
"However, it was evident that he was lying," the officer had said, adding that both accused later admitted their roles and narrated the sequence of events during interrogation.
MORE FAMILY MEMBERS TO BE QUESTIONED
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Lonavala Division) Gajanan Tonpe said investigators have summoned Goyal's brother for questioning and are likely to question other family members and friends.
"So far, the roles of both Siya and Chetan have been established in the alleged murder of Ketan," Tonpe told reporters.
Police had earlier claimed that Chaudhary instigated Goyal to eliminate Agarwal, forming the basis of the alleged conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured Agarwal's family that the government would ensure stringent punishment for those responsible.
The state government also accepted the family's demand to conduct the trial in a fast-track court and appointed senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the special prosecutor.
"We met Fadnavis ji and sought a speedy trial in the case. We also sought that the truth should be unravelled, and if there are any other people involved, they should also be booked. All those responsible for the murder of my son should get severe punishment," Agarwal's father Vishal Agarwal said.
Responding to reports that Goyal disliked his son because he wore a wig, Vishal Agarwal said the family had informed her about it before the engagement.
"It is true that my son wore a small patch of wig. If she had any issues, she should have said no. What was the need to kill my son?" he said.
FAMILIES GIVE CONTRASTING ACCOUNTS
While police maintain that Goyal and Chaudhary plotted the murder because she did not want to marry Agarwal, Goyal's mother claimed her daughter had been reluctant to visit Lohagad Fort on June 18 and agreed only after Agarwal and his mother persuaded her.
She alleged that Agarwal and Goyal had a video call on June 17 during which Agarwal requested her to join the trek, and his mother also urged her to accompany him despite Goyal expressing her desire to stay back because of a family function the following day.
Separately, Goyal's father dismissed reports that the family had booked an entire palace in Udaipur for the wedding and arranged a chartered aircraft. He said the wedding was indeed planned in Udaipur, around 70 hotel rooms had been booked at a tariff of about Rs 81,000 per couple per day and the total wedding expenditure was not expected to exceed Rs 3 crore
Murdered Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal's fiance, Siya Goyal, and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, deleted chats from their mobile phones both before the June 18 murder and again after Agarwal was pushed to his death from Lohagad Fort in an apparent bid to destroy evidence, a police officer associated with the investigation told PTI on Friday.
The revelation came as the Maharashtra government accepted the Agarwal family's demand for a fast-track trial in the sensational murder case and agreed to appoint noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor.
PHONES SENT FOR FORENSIC ANALYSIS
"Our investigation has shown that both the accused deleted their chats from their phones before June 18 and again after the Lohagad incident," the investigating officer told PTI.
The officer said both mobile phones have been sent to a forensic laboratory, where experts are attempting to retrieve the deleted conversations that investigators believe could provide crucial evidence about the alleged conspiracy.
According to police, Goyal, 20, and Chaudhary, 22, who were allegedly in a relationship, exchanged 2,004 phone calls, spending nearly 238 hours speaking to each other before the murder.
POLICE ALLEGE MURDER WAS METICULOUSLY PLANNED
Police have alleged that Goyal and Chaudhary conspired to eliminate 25-year-old Agarwal, who was engaged to Goyal and was scheduled to marry her in November.
Investigators claim the duo met at a caf on the day of the incident, discussed their plan and identified a suitable location on Lohagad Fort from where Agarwal could be pushed.
Earlier, another police officer had told PTI that the conspiracy was executed exactly as planned.
"As per the plan, Siya was to give a signal by sitting down, following which Chetan was to come up and push Ketan to his death. They executed the plan exactly," the officer had said. "They have told us what happened and how it happened. Ketan had no idea what was coming," the officer added.
Police also claimed that Chaudhary initially denied being present at the exact spot where Agarwal was pushed and claimed ignorance about the incident.
"However, it was evident that he was lying," the officer had said, adding that both accused later admitted their roles and narrated the sequence of events during interrogation.
MORE FAMILY MEMBERS TO BE QUESTIONED
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Lonavala Division) Gajanan Tonpe said investigators have summoned Goyal's brother for questioning and are likely to question other family members and friends.
"So far, the roles of both Siya and Chetan have been established in the alleged murder of Ketan," Tonpe told reporters.
Police had earlier claimed that Chaudhary instigated Goyal to eliminate Agarwal, forming the basis of the alleged conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured Agarwal's family that the government would ensure stringent punishment for those responsible.
The state government also accepted the family's demand to conduct the trial in a fast-track court and appointed senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the special prosecutor.
"We met Fadnavis ji and sought a speedy trial in the case. We also sought that the truth should be unravelled, and if there are any other people involved, they should also be booked. All those responsible for the murder of my son should get severe punishment," Agarwal's father Vishal Agarwal said.
Responding to reports that Goyal disliked his son because he wore a wig, Vishal Agarwal said the family had informed her about it before the engagement.
"It is true that my son wore a small patch of wig. If she had any issues, she should have said no. What was the need to kill my son?" he said.
FAMILIES GIVE CONTRASTING ACCOUNTS
While police maintain that Goyal and Chaudhary plotted the murder because she did not want to marry Agarwal, Goyal's mother claimed her daughter had been reluctant to visit Lohagad Fort on June 18 and agreed only after Agarwal and his mother persuaded her.
She alleged that Agarwal and Goyal had a video call on June 17 during which Agarwal requested her to join the trek, and his mother also urged her to accompany him despite Goyal expressing her desire to stay back because of a family function the following day.
Separately, Goyal's father dismissed reports that the family had booked an entire palace in Udaipur for the wedding and arranged a chartered aircraft. He said the wedding was indeed planned in Udaipur, around 70 hotel rooms had been booked at a tariff of about Rs 81,000 per couple per day and the total wedding expenditure was not expected to exceed Rs 3 crore
