Ketan Agarwal murder: Can Siya Goyal's lie detector test crack the case?

The investigation into the murder of 26-year-old Pune businessman and realtor Ketan Agarwal has entered a decisive phase. The Pune Rural Police are preparing to seek court permission to subject the prime accused, 20-year-old Siya Goyal, to a polygraph (lie detector) test.

The move comes as investigators face a critical bottleneck, which is a severe lack of direct eyewitnesses or CCTV footage from the remote cliff edge at Lohagad Fort's "Ghost Point," where Agarwal was allegedly pushed to his 400-foot death.

What was initially reported as a tragic trekking accident turned out to be a meticulously planned murder plot. According to police, Siya Goyal and her alleged lover, 22-year-old Chetan Chaudhary, orchestrated the killing to escape an arranged marriage fixed for November.

Police reveal that during the trek, Siya allegedly sat down under the pretext of tying her shoelaces or drinking water. This was the pre-arranged signal for Chaudhary, who was following the couple in a hoodie, to strike and push Ketan off the cliff, ensuring Siya was safely out of Ketan’s physical reach.

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Following Ketan's fatal fall, his mobile phone remained in Siya’s possession for several hours before she handed it over to his family. Investigators strongly suspect she used this window to delete incriminating texts, photos, or location data.

Investigators uncovered that Siya allegedly stole and disposed of Ketan’s passport to sabotage a planned pre-wedding shoot in Bali. Furthermore, during a previous trip to the fort, Ketan allegedly slipped but survived by grabbing onto bushes. Siya had brushed it off at the time by claiming she panicked after spotting a snake.

Why investigators are weighing a polygraph test

Because the crime took place in an isolated section of the fort, the prosecution’s case relies almost entirely on circumstantial evidence. While police have conducted crime scene reconstructions using a dummy, authorities admit these hold limited scientific weight in court because a dummy's fall depends heavily on artificial weight distribution and velocity

While Goyal and Chaudhary remain in custody, they have given conflicting accounts regarding the timeline and planning phases. The polygraph will help police pinpoint exact gaps in their statements.

The test will be heavily leveraged to grill Siya on exactly what was deleted from Ketan’s phone and where other missing physical evidence, such as discarded digital storage or clothing, might be hidden.

Proving a murder conviction under Indian law requires absolute clarity on intent. Navigating her psychological responses regarding the "snake incident" and the Bali trip sabotage will help establish a deliberate pattern of pre-meditation.

Also read | How Ketan Agarwal's sister helped expose the murder plot by fiancée Siya Goyal

The legal catch

While the polygraph is a potent weapon for breakthroughs, it carries a major legal caveat. Under Indian jurisprudence, polygraph test results are not admissible as direct evidence in a court of law. Furthermore, a test cannot be forced upon an accused; Siya Goyal must give her formal, written consent.

However, the legal value lies in Section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act. Any physical discoveries, weapon recoveries, or digital footprints uncovered as a direct result of a confession or clue dropped during the polygraph test are fully admissible as concrete evidence.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, famed for handling the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack trial, has been appointed by the State to lead the prosecution.