Who Is Siya Goyal's Real Lawyer? Bizarre Row Erupts As Advocate Aashutosh Sends Rs 10 Crore Notice To Sahil Goyal, Demands Apology

New Delhi: The controversy surrounding the death of 26-year-old Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal shows no signs of abating, as a new layer of uncertainty has emerged regarding the legal representation of his 20-year-old fiancée, Siya Goyal.

A day after advocate Aashutosh Srivastava publicly defended Siya Goyal and cast doubt on the validity of her alleged police-custody confession, a different lawyer has come forward claiming to be her legal representative.

Furthermore, the situation has become increasingly complex as Siya Goyal’s brother has formally denied that he or his family ever retained the services of Advocate Srivastava to act on her behalf.

"We have never hired him (Advocate Ashutosh Srivastava), and he is not someone that we have hired from our family. I know nothing about what he is claiming..." Sahil said.

Amid the confusion, Advocate Priyanka Baradkar, junior counsel to advocate Ashutosh Srivastava who had arrived at the Lonavala Police Station ahead of the court hearing declined to comment on the proceedings. "Today is the date of her hearing. Before the hearing, we cannot say anything," she said.

What Siya's lawyer has to say?

Meanwhile, Advocate Vipul Dushing, who said he has been appointed by Siya's family, was representing Siya in the case, said the matter was at a preliminary stage and that the defence would place its arguments before the court.

"We are representing Siya in this case. As of now, there are no specific expectations; the case is still in its very initial stage. We will present our arguments before the court and strive to secure at least a police custody remand for her..." Dushing said.

Srivastava defended Siya's case

On Sunday, Advocate Aashutosh Srivastava, appearing in his capacity as legal counsel for Siya Goyal, addressed the media to argue that under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), any confession obtained while an accused is in police custody is legally inadmissible as evidence.

He further asserted that the defense intends to challenge the prosecution on this matter, while also seeking clarification as to why investigators abruptly pivoted from their initial classification of Ketan Agarwal’s death as an accident to treating the case as a homicide.

Srivastava also maintained that Goyal has fully cooperated with the investigation and argued that the prosecution has already had ample time during police custody to complete their interrogation.

Consequently, he stated that the defense would formally request that she be remanded to judicial custody rather than subjected to further police detention.

More details on the case

The row over legal representation comes a day after a team from the Pune Rural Police took Siya Goyal to Lohagad Fort on Sunday to recreate the crime scene. Additionally, investigators seized a scooter, allegedly used by Chaudhary to travel 100 km from Pune to the fort. Police suspect the vehicle was used to bypass toll plazas during the journey.

Pune Rural Police on Sunday revealed that the accused Siya Goyal allegedly provided a pre-decided signal to her accomplice, Chetan Chaudhary, before he allegedly pushed 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal off a cliff at Lohagad Fort on June 18.

Earlier, the police alleged the duo hatched a conspiracy during a meeting at a cafe in Pune's Lullanagar area the day before the incident, a claim supported by recovered CCTV footage.

Authorities further revealed that the pair allegedly rehearsed the crime before its execution; investigators are currently working to identify the location of these rehearsals.

Ketan Agarwal and Siya Goyal were engaged on February 19 and were scheduled to marry later this year.

Police suspect that Goyal, who had allegedly been in a relationship with Chaudhary since October last year, was unwilling to proceed with the marriage. 

Lawyer serves legal notice

A significant development has unfolded in the Ketan Agrawal murder investigation, as Advocate Ashutosh Srivastava has served a formal legal notice to Sahil Goyal, the brother of accused Siya Goyal, demanding ₹10 crore in compensation.

The conflict intensified following a recent hearing at the Vadgaon Maval Court, where Siya Goyal explicitly stated that her legal representative is Vipul Dushing, not Advocate Srivastava. 

Alleging that Sahil Goyal has severely tarnished his professional reputation through false and defamatory claims, Srivastava is now seeking financial damages, a formal public apology, and a written undertaking to ensure no further disparaging remarks are made. 

The focus has now shifted to how Sahil Goyal will respond to these significant legal demands.

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