The Ketan Agarwal murder case takes another twist as two lawyers claim to represent accused Siya Goyal, while Advocate Aashuutosh Srivastava issues a Rs 10 crore defamation notice to her brother Sahil Goyal.
Pune: The Ketan Agarwal murder case took another dramatic turn after a courtroom dispute over who represents accused Siya Goyal escalated into a Rs 10 crore defamation notice against her brother, adding a fresh legal battle to the high-profile murder investigation.
The legal proceedings in the Ketan Agarwal murder case witnessed a fresh twist after a dispute over the legal representation of accused Siya Goyal unfolded in court. What began as confusion over her counsel has now escalated into a Rs 10 crore defamation notice issued against her brother, Sahil Goyal.
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The latest development comes even as Siya Goyal and co-accused Chetan Chaudhary remain in police custody in connection with the alleged murder of Pune-based realtor Ketan Agarwal.
What happened in court?
During remand proceedings before the Vadgaon Maval court, Advocate Aashuutosh Srivastava appeared and began arguing on behalf of Siya Goyal, stating that he possessed a valid signed Vakalatnama (authorisation document) submitted before the court.
However, when questioned by the magistrate, Siya Goyal reportedly stated that she had engaged only Advocate Vipul Dushing as her legal representative.
Following her statement, Srivastava was unable to continue his arguments and left the courtroom.
Family backs another lawyer
After the hearing, Siya's brother Sahil Goyal and other family members publicly maintained that Advocate Vipul Dushing is the only lawyer officially appointed by the family.
They also denied claims that Advocate Srivastava or his legal team had ever been engaged to represent Siya.
The conflicting claims over legal representation have since become a separate point of controversy in the case.
Why was a Rs 10 crore defamation notice issued?
Following the courtroom dispute, Advocate Aashuutosh Srivastava served a Rs 10 crore defamation notice on Sahil Goyal.
According to the notice, Sahil's public statements claiming that Srivastava "was never hired" were false, misleading and harmful to the advocate's professional reputation.
The notice reportedly demands that Sahil withdraw his remarks, issue a public apology, provide a written undertaking not to repeat the allegations and pay Rs 10 crore in damages.
Srivastava has maintained that Siya Goyal, being an adult, is legally entitled to appoint a lawyer independently of her family through a valid Vakalatnama.
Murder investigation continues
The legal dispute unfolds as investigators continue probing the alleged murder of Ketan Agarwal.
Police allege that Agarwal, a Pune-based realtor and Siya Goyal's fiancé, was pushed from a nearly 350-foot cliff at Lohagad Fort near Lonavala on June 18.
Siya Goyal and her alleged partner Chetan Chaudhary have been arrested in connection with the case and remain in police custody.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has appointed senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the Special Public Prosecutor to represent the prosecution during the trial.
The courtroom dispute over Siya Goyal's legal representation now adds another legal dimension to a case that has already attracted significant public attention.
Published: 30 Jun 2026, 04:49 pm IST
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