Legal Dispute Arises in Pune Real Estate Murder Case
New Developments in the Ketan Agarwal Murder Case
In the ongoing investigation into the alleged murder of Pune real estate businessman Ketan Agarwal, a new legal controversy has emerged alongside court proceedings. Ashutosh Srivastava, a lawyer claiming to represent the main accused, Siya Goyal, has issued a defamation notice demanding ₹10 crore from Siya's brother, Sahil Goyal. The lawyer alleges that Sahil has made false and baseless accusations that have severely damaged his professional reputation. This incident follows a recent dispute regarding who is legally representing Siya during the high-profile murder trial.
Court Proceedings and Confusion Over Legal Representation
On Monday, Siya Goyal and her co-accused boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary, were presented in the Vadgaon Maval court after their initial police custody ended. The court extended their custody for further investigation until July 3. During the hearing, confusion arose when Ashutosh Srivastava appeared in court claiming to represent Siya and submitted a power of attorney bearing her signature. However, Siya clarified to the court that her actual lawyer is Vipul Dushing, and her family confirmed that Dushing was officially appointed to represent her.
Allegations and Legal Notice
Prior to the hearing, Sahil Goyal publicly accused Srivastava of not being authorized to represent Siya. He claimed that the family had filed an affidavit in court to clarify this issue and alleged that Srivastava had obtained Siya's signature through deception. Sahil also accused the lawyer of threatening the family. Following these allegations, Srivastava sent a legal notice demanding ₹10 crore in damages from Sahil.
Claims of Authorization and Professional Integrity
In response to the controversy, Srivastava stated that his legal team had contacted Siya directly, and she willingly authorized them to represent her. He emphasized that Siya is an adult capable of making her own decisions. Srivastava refuted Sahil's claims, asserting that they had never communicated with him but had spoken directly to Siya, who signed the power of attorney, which is valid in the Bombay High Court.
Ongoing Investigation and Police Actions
Meanwhile, the police are intensifying their interrogation of Siya and Chaudhary in custody. They revealed that their investigation uncovered that the couple had previously visited Lohagad Fort to identify the location where Agarwal was allegedly pushed to his death. The prosecution informed the court that investigators are working to recover deleted digital evidence, match the sequence of events with Chaudhary, identify individuals who interacted with the accused based on CCTV footage, recover Agarwal's missing passport (which Siya allegedly discarded during a trip), and question newly identified witnesses.
Murder Allegations Against Siya and Chaudhary
The police allege that 20-year-old Siya conspired with her 22-year-old boyfriend, Chaudhary, to murder Agarwal because she did not want to marry him and feared that ending the relationship would bring shame to her family. Both have been arrested for allegedly plotting to kill the real estate businessman by pushing him off a cliff at Lohagad Fort in Pune district.