Pune Murder Case: Legal Row erupts over Siya Goyal's representation, lawyer sends ₹10 crore defamation Notice
A fresh legal dispute has surfaced in the high-profile Pune Lohagad Fort murder case, with two lawyers claiming to represent the prime accused, Siya Goyal, while one of them has served a Rs 10 crore defamation notice to her brother, Sahil Goyal.
The controversy began after Pune-based advocate Aashuutosh Srivastava claimed that Siya Goyal had appointed him as her legal counsel and had signed a vakalatnama authorising him to appear on her behalf in court. However, Sahil Goyal publicly rejected the claim, stating that the family had engaged advocate Vipul Dushing to represent his sister.
The dispute intensified during a hearing before the Vadgaon Maval court, where Siya Goyal reportedly stated that Aashuutosh Srivastava was not representing her and that advocate Vipul Dushing was her lawyer.
Following the statement, Srivastava issued a Rs 10 crore defamation notice to Sahil Goyal, alleging that his public remarks had damaged his professional reputation. In the legal notice, the advocate demanded an unconditional written apology and withdrawal of what he described as "false, frivolous, derogatory and defamatory" statements. He also claimed that the remarks had caused him loss of professional goodwill, reputational harm and mental trauma.
Srivastava maintained that Siya, being an adult, had voluntarily executed the vakalatnama in his favour and that her appointment of him did not require approval from family members.
The legal dispute comes amid the ongoing investigation into the murder of Pune-based realtor Ketan Agarwal, who was allegedly pushed off a cliff at Lohagad Fort on June 18. Police have accused Siya Goyal and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, of conspiring to kill Agarwal. Both accused are currently in custody as the investigation continues.
