‘Siya, Chetan used signs, coded language in chats’: Police seek remand in Ketan Agarwal murder case | Today’s news
The prosecution in the murder case of Pune-based realtor Ketan Agarwal on Friday sought a three-day extension in the police custody of the two main accused, Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, arguing that further custodial interrogation is needed to decode the alleged coded messages recovered from their mobile phones.
Coded conversations of Siya and Chetan found, prosecutors seek three-day extension
According to news agency PTI, Goyal and Chaudhary were produced before First Class Magistrate AM Vibhute after their police remand expired. The two are accused of killing Agarwal by allegedly pushing him out of Lohagad Fort, a popular tourist destination near Pune, on June 18.
The prosecution, seeking an extension to the court’s remand, said investigators obtained digital evidence indicating the two accused communicated using symbols, nicknames and a coded language that could only be deciphered with their help.
Assistant public prosecutor Rajashree Virkud told the court that investigators also conducted a panchnama at the spot where Goyal and Chaudhary allegedly rehearsed the plan to kill Agarwal.
“Investigators also conducted a panchnama at the spot where Goyal and Chaudhary were allegedly rehearsing how to kill Agarwal,” Virkud said.
She further informed the court that the police recovered another mobile phone allegedly belonging to Goyal and sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for detailed examination.
“Data from previously seized phones has already been retrieved and investigators have received forensic expert testimony. The recovered chats contain coded language, including nicknames and emoticons, the meaning of which can only be explained by the accused,” she said.
Police say Goyal and Chaudhary conspired to kill Agarwal and executed the plan during a visit to Lohagad Fort in Pune district. Investigators suspect the accused may have taken a test before the incident, a claim that forms a key part of the prosecution’s case for further detention.
The prosecution argued that while forensic analysis revealed the existence of coded exchanges between the accused, investigators needed more time to determine the exact meaning and context of the messages, which could prove key to establishing the sequence of events leading to Agarwal’s death.
The court heard the prosecution’s request to extend police custody after the original detention period had expired. At the time of reporting, further proceedings in the matter were ongoing.
Ketan Agarwal died after he was allegedly pushed out of the Lohagad Fort on June 18, and investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death are still ongoing.
