PUNE: In the ongoing investigation into the death of Ketan Agarwal, defence counsel for accused Chetan Chaudhary, lawyer Radhikesh Uttarwar, has told the court that Chetan’s name appears only twice across the FIR and all remand reports, and that no specific role has been attributed to him in the investigation records.Advocate Radhikesh Uttarwar, appearing for Chetan, argued that the investigation records mention Chetan’s name only in limited instances and do not clearly assign him an independent role in the alleged offence.The first instance, according to him, is where the deceased allegedly mentioned Chetan’s name to his father. The second is a direct allegation that is based on suspicion regarding his involvement in the incident.“I have argued that Chetan’s name appears only twice across all remand reports and the FIR. Once where the deceased mentioned Chetan’s name to their father, and a second instance involving a direct allegation specifically, a suspicion that Chetan committed the act. Beyond this, no specific role has been attributed to Chetan in either the FIR or the remand reports; the documents merely refer to “the accused” collectively, ” Chetan Chaudhary’s lawyer said.He further argued that beyond these references, the FIR and remand reports do not detail any specific role attributed to Chaudhary, and instead refer broadly to “the accused”.The defence also informed the court that it has sought permission to meet Chetan Chaudhary in custody in order to understand his version of events and gather further instructions for the case.
Uttarwar said the meeting is necessary to properly assess his client’s defence, as the current investigation materials do not clearly explain his alleged involvement.“Yesterday, we informed the court that we need an opportunity to meet Chetan to understand his version of events; we have sought the court’s permission for this meeting to gather more information regarding his role. However, neither the police remand reports nor the investigation so far has clarified exactly what Chetan’s role was, ” Chetan Chaudhary’s lawyer added.The lawyer further indicated that securing additional police custody after July 3 may be difficult, stating that the investigation phase requiring custodial interrogation appears to be nearing completion.
He added that the defence will argue for the accused to be remanded to judicial custody and shifted to Yerawada Central Prison in Pune.“It will likely be difficult to secure additional police custody after 3rd July. Our argument will be that the investigation requiring personal custody is effectively complete. Therefore, we will request that they be remanded to judicial custody and sent to Yerwada Central Prison, ” Chetan Chaudhary’s lawyer told ANI.Ketan Agarwal’s death, initially reported as an accidental fall at Lohagad Fort, is now being investigated as a murder. The case involves allegations against his fiancée Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, with police probing a wider conspiracy and multiple circumstantial links as part of the ongoing investigation.(With agency inputs)
