Lohagad Fort death: Seek to probe ‘code names’ in Siya, Chetan’s communication, police tell court

3 min readPuneJul 3, 2026 10:32 PM IST

Siya Goyal being escorted by the police at the Vadgaon Maval court on Friday. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)

While producing Siya and Chetan — the duo accused in the alleged murder of 25-year-old Ketan Agarwal — before the Vadgaon Maval court on Friday, the Pune Rural Police told judicial magistrate (first class) A M Vibhute that data retrieved from two cell phones seized from the accused showed the two had allegedly used “nicknames” and “code names” in their communication.

During investigation, police had seized Siya and Chetan’s mobile phones. Police suspected they had deleted the chats between them before and after committing Ketan’s murder by pushing him from the Western cliff of the Lohagad Fort in Pune district on June 18. The two cell phones were then sent to the forensic lab to retrieve their chats on messenger Apps.

After producing Siya and Chetan before the Vadgaon Maval court on Friday, the police told judicial magistrate (first class) A M Vibhute that data retrieved from the two cell phones revealed Siya and Chetan had allegedly used “nicknames” and “code names” in their communication.

Police sought three more days custody of the accused to investigate these “nick names” and “code names”.

Police also said they seized one more cell phone that Siya had been using personally. Police told the court that further custody of the accused was required to interrogate them about this communication via this cell phone and its data.

Assistant public prosecutor Rajashri Virkud said that a custody extension of the accused was required to determine under what context the “nick names” and “Smileys (Emojis)” shared were used during their interaction with each other.

Defence lawyers argued that accused persons have been in police custody for the last 12 days. “Police have seized the cell phones. There are no sufficient grounds for extending the custody of the accused,” said Siya’s counsel Vipul Dushing.

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After hearing both sides, the court refused to extend the custody of the two accused persons and granted them magisterial custody remand.

Speaking to media persons, Sandeep Singh Gill, Superintendent of Pune Rural Police said, “It is seen many times that there is use of informal language, where nicknames are used for addressing. Besides, phrases are observed that are without any context. This is what we mean by coded communication. We probe it because it is important to connect the dots in an investigation.”

Panchanama of alleged rehearsal spot

Prosecution told the court on Friday that police conducted a panchnama of the location where the accused persons alleged conducted a rehearsal of the murder.

Police did not press for polygraph test

The police on Friday submitted an application in court that it did not press for permission for polygraph tests of the accused.

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When contacted, Siya’s lawyer Vipul Dushing said the accused had given consent for a polygraph test. However, the police told the court they do not want to proceed with the application for the polygraph test.

A polygraph, commonly known as a lie detector test, measures physiological responses such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration and skin conductivity while a person answers a series of questions.

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Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs.

Professional Profile

Specialization:

He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation.

Key Beats:

His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Background:

Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape.

Awards and Recognition:

He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve.

He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry.

1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases

“Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025).

Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links.

“The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025)

Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas.

“How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025)

After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital.

“A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025).

Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train.

“No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025)

Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence.

2. Inter-state firearms racket

"Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025)

"Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025)

Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh

3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams

“Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025)

An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country

‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025)

Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds

Signature Style: The Investigative Hit

Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers.

X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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