Siya Goyal Consents to Polygraph in Fiancé's Cliff Murder Case
Siya Goyal, the 20-year-old accused in the murder of her fiancé Ketan Agarwal, has consented to undergo a polygraph test, according to her lawyer Vipul Dusing. The consent was given to the Lonavala Rural Police on Thursday, a legal requirement for such tests.
Police have taken Goyal to a site in Pune where she and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, are said to have rehearsed pushing Agarwal off a cliff at Lohagad Fort. The incident occurred on June 18, and both Goyal and Chaudhary are in police custody until July 3.
A polygraph test, commonly known as a lie detector test, measures physiological responses such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and sweat levels while subjects answer questions. Pune police have also approached the court for permission to conduct similar tests on Chaudhary.
Investigators recovered clothes allegedly worn by Goyal on the day of the murder during a search at her residence in Pune's Market Yard area. According to police, Goyal and Chaudhary are accused of pushing 25-year-old Agarwal from a 400-foot gorge at Lohagad Fort. Agarwal and Goyal were due to marry in November.
A Pune Rural Police official stated that the pair had rehearsed the act at a hillock near a club in Lullanagar in May. Goyal was taken to the spot on Thursday to identify the location of the rehearsal. Police are still establishing the exact date and further details.
Substantial technical and digital data has been collected and is being analysed, the official added. The polygraph tests aim to determine who pushed Agarwal, as no eyewitnesses were present. The tests also seek to verify conflicting accounts from Goyal and Chaudhary, who blame each other for the fatal act.
Investigators want to assess whether Goyal gave a pre-arranged signal, the extent of planning discussed at a cafe the day before the murder, details of three alleged failed attempts, and whether Goyal deleted evidence from Chaudhary's phone. The examination will also explore her reluctance to marry Agarwal and her relationship with Chaudhary.
