Police investigators have moved beyond the initial motive in the Ketan Agarwal murder case, unearthing digital evidence that points to a calculated pre-interrogation strategy designed to derail the investigation.
Detectives confirmed Monday that they identified a suspected hitman whose movements align with the timeline of Agarwal’s disappearance. Forensic analysis of recovered mobile devices suggests the suspect didn’t just operate in isolation; he allegedly followed a script designed to provide plausible deniability if apprehended by law enforcement.
The investigation took a sharp turn after police accessed encrypted messaging logs. These logs reveal a series of rehearsed responses, essentially a “cheat sheet” for interrogation, meant to be deployed if the suspect was ever detained. Investigators believe this level of planning marks the case as a sophisticated contract killing rather than a spontaneous act of violence.
“We aren’t looking at a simple crime of passion anymore,” a senior officer close to the investigation said. “The suspect had a playbook ready for when he was caught. It suggests a support network that expected—and prepared for—police scrutiny.”
The victim, Ketan Agarwal, was reported missing last month before his body was discovered in a remote location on the city’s outskirts. Initial reports focused on a personal dispute, but the discovery of these tactics has forced the department to expand the scope of the inquiry to include potential accomplices who may have provided logistical support.
While the suspect remains in custody, he has adhered closely to the pre-scripted lines identified in the recovered data, refusing to deviate even when presented with contradictory evidence. This rigid compliance has frustrated lead detectives, who are now working to link the digital footprint of the “hitman” to the financial backers behind the operation.
The police commissioner is expected to hold a briefing later this week. For now, the focus remains on decrypting the remaining hardware to identify the source of the instructions, as the case shifts from a hunt for a perpetrator to a pursuit of an organized network.
