A murder investigation in New Delhi has taken a forensic turn with police now examining alleged digital communications between two accused persons, uncovering what they believe may be evidence of a coordinated conspiracy to conceal the crime. The emerging digital evidence forms a crucial part of the inquiry into the death of Ketan Agarwal, though investigators emphasize that the authenticity of these communications remains subject to verification before they can carry full evidentiary weight.
The investigation centres on Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, whom authorities allege murdered Agarwal and subsequently attempted to destroy evidence and mislead the investigation. Goyal was engaged to the victim at the time of his alleged death, introducing a dimension of personal betrayal alongside the criminal allegations. The nature of their purported communications suggests deliberate attempts to obscure the true events surrounding Agarwal's death and conceal details of what police characterize as a planned conspiracy.
Among the evidence being scrutinized is an alleged Snapchat exchange in which Goyal reportedly requested a friend to provide her copy of an Aadhaar identification card, ostensibly for booking airline tickets. In the purported message, Goyal wrote: "Send me your Aadhaar card to book tickets for a wedding that is never going to happen." The peculiar phrasing of this message has captured investigative attention, with police suggesting it may represent an attempt to maintain the facade of wedding preparations as a cover for the alleged crime. By continuing to discuss wedding arrangements after Agarwal's death, investigators believe the accused may have been trying to preserve the appearance of normalcy and misdirect suspicion away from themselves.
Beyond the Snapchat evidence, police have conducted a forensic examination of deleted mobile phone data belonging to both accused individuals. This technical analysis has revealed what investigators describe as a series of coded messages exchanged between Goyal and Chaudhary subsequent to Agarwal's alleged murder. The cryptic nature of these communications suggests a deliberate effort to obscure their meaning, potentially to prevent detection by law enforcement or to maintain plausible deniability should their messages be discovered. Understanding the content of these coded exchanges has become central to determining the precise sequence of events after the alleged murder and establishing each suspect's role in the conspiracy.
The investigation has progressed to a judicial stage, with both accused now held in 14 days of judicial custody following a court hearing. Police had sought an additional three days of custodial interrogation to continue questioning the suspects together, decode the alleged encrypted communications, establish a clear motive for the alleged crime, and clarify the respective roles each accused played. The court, however, declined this request, a development that has somewhat constrained the investigating agency's ability to conduct intensive interrogation during the critical early stages of the probe.
During the court proceedings, Investigating Officer Manoj Pawar presented several details about the physical evidence collected. Police had conducted a site examination at a location where Siya Goyal allegedly tore up Ketan Agarwal's passport, a document destruction that investigators interpret as evidence of an attempt to conceal the victim's identity or prevent him from travelling—acts consistent with planning a crime or covering one up. Clothing belonging to Goyal has been seized as potential forensic evidence. Additionally, examination of a second mobile phone belonging to Goyal uncovered further communications that investigators characterize as coded, adding another layer to the digital evidence being compiled.
The question of conducting narco analysis—a truth-verification technique involving administration of drugs to lower inhibitions—emerged during the judicial hearing. This investigative method, which remains controversial in many democracies due to concerns about reliability and ethical implications, cannot be lawfully conducted without explicit consent from the subject. Both Goyal and Chaudhary refused permission for the procedure, effectively eliminating this avenue of investigation for now. Notably, the prosecution indicated it did not consider such testing essential at the current stage of the inquiry, suggesting investigators believe they have sufficient leads to pursue through conventional methods.
For Malaysian observers, this case illustrates how modern investigations increasingly rely on digital forensics and electronic evidence to reconstruct criminal events and identify conspiracies. The reliance on Snapchat messages, deleted phone data, and coding patterns reflects a broader investigative trend across South Asia and Southeast Asia, where digital communication platforms have become primary channels for criminal coordination. As societies across the region grapple with cybercrime legislation and digital evidence standards, cases like this provide practical examples of how courts and police agencies navigate the authentication and admissibility of electronic communications.
The investigation continues with police pursuing multiple parallel lines of inquiry. The coded messages, the alleged false wedding narrative, the destroyed passport, and the forensic examination of digital communications collectively paint a picture of alleged coordination and potential consciousness of guilt. However, investigators face the fundamental challenge of translating circumstantial digital evidence into a legally compelling case that establishes guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The coming weeks will determine whether the alleged communications yield their secrets under forensic analysis and whether they can definitively connect the accused to the alleged crime.
