Sahil Goyal, Siya Goyal’s brother, denied that the family had appointed Ashutosh Srivastava as their lawyer.
Who is Siya Goyal’s lawyer? The question has added a new twist to the ongoing investigation into the Pune Fort death case, with advocate Ashutosh Srivastava sending a message. $A Rs 10-crore defamation notice was sent to Sia’s brother, Sahil Goyal, on Tuesday over rival claims over her legal representation.
Sia Goyal is accused of murdering her fiancé Ketan Agarwal and her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary. Ketan was reportedly pushed from a cliff at Lohagad Fort in Pune on June 18.
$10 Crores Defamation Notice
After Sia’s brother, Sahil Goyal, denied that the family had appointed Ashutosh Srivastava as their lawyer, Srivastava sent a note $A defamation notice worth Rs 10 crore, alleging that false allegations were made about his role in the case.
“We sent A $10 Crore Defamation Notice to Sahil Goyal. We did this because we heard a statement from him stating completely false facts, lying, and trying to mislead the public. As far as the accused, Siya Goyal, is concerned, she has signed and authorized all necessary legal documents in every appropriate manner, and those documents, including the Vakalatnamma, have already been submitted to the court. She has given us the legal authority to represent her in the Supreme Court as well, which we will oversee going forward,” Ashutosh told news agency PTI.
Read also | ‘Death penalty for Sia, Chetan: Ketan Agrawal’s parents join march in Pune, demanding quick action
He also said, “We have absolutely no relationship with Sahil Goyal. We have not spoken to him, nor have we communicated with him on any matter, nor have we exchanged any emails. Hence, a statement of this kind from him is highly irresponsible, defamatory, and constitutes an outright attack on the legal fraternity. As an accused, Sia Goyal has every legal right to engage a lawyer. Even if she wishes to change her lawyer at any time, there is a formal legal procedure for that, which strictly requires a No Objection Certificate (NOC), and she must Sahil Goyal should issue an apology for his statement, because we do not represent him, and he has no authority whatsoever to make false statements.”
Competing claims for legal representation
The controversy arose after lawyer Ashutosh Srivastava made a public appearance on behalf of Sia Goyal and questioned the probative value of her alleged confessions while in police custody.
Read also | Who is Siya Goyal’s lawyer? New development as accused’s brother says Ashutosh Srivastava ‘was never appointed’
However, within a day, another lawyer, Vipul Dusheng, announced that he and his legal team were representing Sia in the case, creating confusion about who was officially accused.
Sia’s brother rejects Srivastava’s claim
Sahil Goyal, Siya Goyal’s brother, denied that the family had appointed Ashutosh Srivastava as their lawyer.
Read also | ‘Need to investigate murder drills and dispose of passports’: Why police sought extension of detention of Siya Goyal, Chetan’s ‘lover’
“We never appointed him (lawyer Ashutosh Srivastava) and he is not someone we appointed from our family. I don’t know anything about what he is claiming,” Sahil Goyal told news agency ANI.
Police continue investigating
The row over legal representation comes a day after the Pune Rural Police took Sia Goyal to Lohagad Fort to relive the events of her fiancé Ketan Agarwal’s death on June 18.
Read also | Sitting on ‘The Signal’, Sia Goyal’s ‘Safety’: What Police Found at Ketan Agarwal’s Murder Scene
According to investigators, Goyal allegedly demonstrated how she signaled to co-accused Chetan Chaudhary to sit down, either by pretending to drink water or tying her shoelaces, before Chaudhary pushed Agarwal off the cliff.
The police claimed that the two had earlier visited the fort to identify a suitable location for the crime and had even conducted a ‘training’. Officials say they are still verifying where the alleged training took place.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
Shivya Kanojia is a journalist at Hindustan Times, where she works in the fast-paced digital news ecosystem with a strong sense of editorial judgment and a clear understanding of what makes a story important and action-driven. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Shivya strikes a thoughtful balance between news value and audience relevance to her work, ensuring that stories resonate beyond the immediate headlines. Over the course of her three-year journey in digital news, Shivya has worked across a wide range of industries, including politics, civic issues, human interest features and trending news. This diverse exposure has shaped her ability to engage with stories with nuance, adaptability and context, whether she is analyzing complex developments or shedding light on everyday narratives that often go unnoticed. She is particularly drawn to human interest stories, interviews and explanations that provide depth and clarity, and aims to go beyond superficial reporting to explore the people, emotions and circumstances behind the news. Before joining Hindustan Times, Shivya worked with Firstpost and Times Now, where she covered a wide range of topics and honed her skills in digital journalism. Outside of the newsroom, Shivya enjoys discovering new cafés, drawn to good coffee, cozy spaces, and thoughtful conversation. Shopping is another hobby she cherishes, not always out of necessity, but often guided by instinct and the simple joy of making unexpected finds. Above all, she values the time she spends with her loved ones, finding meaning in shared laughter, simple moments and memories that last a long time.Read more
