Pune murder case: Lawyer says no concrete evidence against co-accused Chetan

In a twist in the Ketan Agarwal murder case, the lawyer representing co-accused Chetan Chaudhary has questioned the evidence against his client, arguing that investigators have not clearly established either his role in the crime or his alleged relationship with prime accused Siya Goyal.

Advocate Ram Shahane, appearing for Chaudhary, said the allegations against his client are not backed by concrete evidence and that the FIR does not specifically describe his involvement in the alleged murder conspiracy.

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“If we look at the FIR, the allegations against him are not concrete. His role is not clearly described. It is only mentioned that he is Siya Goyal’s boyfriend. On that basis, he has been implicated in the case,” Shahane told PTI.

Murder conspiracy

The case relates to the death of Pune businessman Ketan Vishal Agarwal on June 18. What was initially believed to be an accidental death later turned into a murder investigation after police uncovered evidence suggesting a planned conspiracy. Subsequently, 20-year-old Siya Goyal and 22-year-old Chetan Chaudhary were arrested on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.

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According to investigators, Chaudhary played an active role in the alleged plot. Police claim that CCTV footage from the foothills of Lohagad Fort in Lonavala showed him arriving at the location before Agarwal and Goyal. Officers also cited more than 2,000 phone calls exchanged between the two accused as evidence of their close coordination.

Police further said Chaudhary attempted to avoid detection by leaving his mobile phone at his residence in Kondhwa instead of carrying it with him to the fort.

‘Person with hoodie’

Senior Police Inspector Dinesh Tayade of the Lonavala Rural Police said investigators became suspicious after reviewing CCTV footage from June 18. “The temperature that morning was around 33 degrees Celsius. During scrutiny of the footage, we noticed a person wearing a hoodie with his head covered and headphones on. Considering the weather conditions, this appeared unusual and raised suspicion,” he said.

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Investigators later identified the individual as Chaudhary. Police have also claimed that both accused confessed during questioning, though details of the alleged confession have not been made public.

Police custody

The defence, however, maintains that Chaudhary has been implicated primarily because of his alleged association with Goyal. Shahane said the investigation is still at an early stage and that police are yet to establish a direct role for his client.

Both Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary have been remanded to seven days of police custody as investigators continue to probe the circumstances surrounding Agarwal’s death and the alleged conspiracy behind it.