Pune, Jul 2: The investigation into the murder of Pune-based realtor Ketan Agarwal has taken a fresh legal turn, with advocate Aashutosh Srivastava issuing a ₹10-crore defamation notice to Sahil Goyal, the brother of prime accused Siya Goyal, over alleged defamatory remarks made during a television interview.
In the legal notice, Srivastava accused Sahil of making false and defamatory statements that allegedly tarnished his professional reputation. Besides seeking ₹10 crore in damages, the advocate has demanded that Sahil withdraw the allegations, issue a public apology, and provide a written undertaking that he will not repeat such statements in the future.
The dispute stems from Sahil Goyal's claim that neither he nor his family had appointed Aashutosh Srivastava as Siya Goyal's legal counsel. He also alleged that Srivastava may have obtained Siya's signatures on legal documents through deception.
Refuting the allegations, Srivastava maintained that his legal team had approached Siya directly and that she voluntarily signed a vakalatnama, authorising them to represent her. He asserted that, as an adult, Siya was fully competent to choose her own legal representation without requiring her family's approval.
The disagreement also played out before the Vadgaon Maval court on Monday. Srivastava appeared claiming to represent Siya Goyal and submitted a vakalatnama bearing her alleged signature. However, Siya informed the court that advocate Vipul Dushing was representing her. Her family also reiterated that Dushing had been officially appointed as her legal counsel.
Prior to the hearing, Sahil Goyal had maintained that Srivastava had never been authorised by the family to appear on Siya's behalf. He further alleged that an affidavit confirming the appointment of advocate Vipul Dushing had already been filed before the court and accused Srivastava of threatening the family.
Responding to the controversy, Srivastava said his team had dealt directly with Siya and that she had willingly authorised them to represent her up to the Bombay High Court.
"Our team met Siya Goyal because she needed legal assistance. She voluntarily signed the vakalatnama in our favour. We never spoke to Sahil Goyal. We dealt directly with Siya, who authorised us to represent her," Srivastava said.
The allegations contained in the defamation notice represent Srivastava's claims. Sahil Goyal has not yet issued any public response to the notice.
Meanwhile, the murder investigation continues, with police seeking custodial interrogation of Siya Goyal and co-accused Chaudhary. Investigators informed the court that the two had allegedly visited Lohagad Fort before the incident to identify the location from where Ketan Agarwal was allegedly pushed to his death.
