PUNE: The investigation into the murder of 25-year-old realtor Ketan Agarwal has gathered pace after police found that the two accused — Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary — had allegedly erased their entire mobile chat history, including deleted files from their phones’ recycle bins, both before and after the crime, officials said on Friday.The seized mobile phones have been sent to a forensic laboratory, where experts are attempting to recover the deleted conversations that investigators believe could reveal details of the alleged conspiracy.According to a police officer associated with the probe, both accused had deliberately deleted all chats exchanged before June 18 and after the Lohagad Fort incident. Investigators are now relying on forensic analysis to reconstruct the communication trail, as reported by news agency PTI.The Pune Rural Police investigation has also uncovered the extent of contact between the two accused. Officials said Goyal (20) and Chaudhary (22), who were allegedly in a relationship, exchanged 2,004 phone calls over the past six months, speaking for a combined 238 hours, indicating sustained planning and coordination.Police believe the pair met at a café on the day of the murder to finalise their plan, including identifying the exact spot on Lohagad Fort in Maval taluka from where Agarwal would allegedly be pushed into the gorge.Deputy Superintendent of Police Gajanan Tonpe of the Lonavala division said investigators have firmly established the roles of both accused. Goyal’s brother has been questioned, while other relatives and friends are also being summoned as the probe expands.“So far, the roles of both Siya and Chetan in Ketan’s alleged murder have been established,” Tonpe said.During interrogation, Chaudhary initially claimed he was not present at the exact location of the cliff. However, police said inconsistencies in his statements exposed the claim, eventually leading both accused to confess and narrate the sequence of events.Investigators alleged that the murder was carried out according to a pre-planned signal. Goyal allegedly sat down at a designated spot, signalling Chaudhary to approach from behind and push an unsuspecting Agarwal into the gorge.The case has drawn intervention from the Maharashtra government. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Agarwal’s father, Vishal Agarwal, in Pune and assured the family of all possible assistance.The state has accepted the family’s request for a fast-track trial and appointed senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor.Calling the incident “shocking and incomprehensible”, Fadnavis said the crime reflected a disturbing social trend that demanded introspection.“As a society, we need to understand why educated young men and women from good families develop such criminal intent and a desire for revenge. This is not merely a criminal issue; it also has a social dimension,” the Chief Minister said, adding that stronger support systems were needed to prevent such mindsets from developing.After meeting the Chief Minister, Vishal Agarwal reiterated his demand for a speedy trial and sought a thorough investigation to identify and prosecute anyone else involved in the conspiracy.“The truth must come out. If there are others involved, they should also be booked. Everyone responsible for my son’s murder should receive the strictest punishment,” he said.Responding to reports suggesting that Goyal disliked his son because he wore a hair patch, Vishal Agarwal said that if she had objections, she could simply have refused the marriage.“If she had any issue, she should have said no. What was the need to kill him?” he said, adding that both Goyal and her family had been informed about his son’s hair patch before the engagement.Police said Goyal and Agarwal were engaged and scheduled to marry in November. Investigators allege that although Goyal no longer wanted to go ahead with the marriage, she and Chaudhary conspired to eliminate Agarwal and executed the plan on June 18.Meanwhile, Goyal’s mother has claimed that her daughter was unwilling to visit Lohagad Fort that day and had initially declined the trip.According to her, on the evening of June 17, Agarwal requested Goyal during a video call to accompany him to the fort, while his mother also urged her to join them. She claimed Goyal expressed reluctance, saying she wanted to rest ahead of a family function scheduled for the next day.Goyal’s father also dismissed reports that the family had planned an extravagant wedding involving a palace booking in Udaipur and a chartered aircraft.He confirmed that the wedding venue was in Udaipur but said the arrangements were modest in comparison to media reports.“We had booked around 70 rooms, each costing about ₹81,000 per couple per day. Our total expenditure was not expected to exceed ₹3 crore,” he said.(With PTI inputs)
