The lawyer representing Chetan Chaudhary, one of the accused in the murder case of Pune businessman Ketan Vishal Agarwal, has claimed that there is no concrete evidence against his client and that he has been implicated in the case merely because he was the boyfriend of the main accused, Siya Goyal.
Siya Goyal, 20, and her boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary, 22, were arrested in connection with the death of Ketan Agarwal on June 18. The case was initially believed to be an accidental death, but as investigators uncovered new details, police concluded that it was a planned murder, leading to the arrest of the two accused.
According to the police, several pieces of evidence have strengthened the allegations against the duo. These include CCTV footage from the foothills near Lohagad Fort, a hoodie allegedly worn by Chaudhary, and records showing more than 2,000 calls exchanged between Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary. Police have also stated that both accused confessed to the crime during interrogation.
However, Advocate Ram Shahane, who is representing Chetan Chaudhary, has disputed the allegations and questioned the basis of his client’s arrest.
Speaking to PTI, Shahane said that the First Information Report (FIR) does not clearly describe Chaudhary’s role in the case. According to him, the allegations against the accused are not concrete and merely identify him as Siya Goyal’s boyfriend.
“If we look at the FIR, the allegations against him (Chetan Chaudhary) are not concrete. His role is not described. It is only said that he is (Siya’s) boyfriend. He has been implicated in this case,” Shahane said.
The defence counsel further argued that Chaudhary’s connection to the case stems only from his relationship with Siya Goyal.
“We have pleaded that the accused’s role is not coming in this. How he has been implicated in this? This is the case of defence. The case is in its initial stages. Police is investigating the case and they have demanded the custody of seven days,” he told the news agency.
According to police investigators, Chetan Chaudhary’s alleged involvement became evident during the investigation into Ketan Agarwal’s death.
Police said that on June 18, when Ketan Agarwal visited Lohagad Fort in Lonavala along with Siya Goyal, Chaudhary had already reached the location before the pair arrived.
During the investigation, officers reviewed CCTV footage captured at the foothills of the fort and identified a man wearing a hoodie despite the hot weather conditions. Investigators later identified the person as Chetan Chaudhary.
Senior Police Inspector Dinesh Tayade of Lonavala Rural Police explained that the clothing drew suspicion because it appeared unusual for the weather on that day.
“When we checked the June 18 temperature, it was 33 degrees Celsius that morning. During scrutiny of CCTV footage from the foothills, we noticed a person wearing a hoodie with his head covered and also wearing headphones. This raised suspicion because such clothing was unusual considering the weather conditions,” Tayade told HT.
Police also claimed that Chaudhary attempted to avoid detection by leaving his mobile phone at his residence in Kondhwa instead of carrying it with him to Lohagad Fort.
Investigators subsequently tracked CCTV footage and questioned both Chaudhary and Siya Goyal. According to police, during interrogation, both accused confessed to the crime.
Following their arrest, Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary were remanded to seven days of police custody as the investigation continues.
The case remains under investigation, with police seeking further evidence while the defence maintains that there is no concrete material linking Chetan Chaudhary to the alleged murder.
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