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 Aashuutosh Srivastava sending a ₹10 crore defamation notice to Siya's brother, Sahil Goyal, on Tuesday over competing claims about her legal representation.
Siya Goyal is accused of killing her fiancé, Ketan Agarwal, along with her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary. Ketan was reportedly pushed off a cliff at Lohagad Fort in Pune on June 18.
₹10 crore defamation notice
After Siya's brother, Sahil Goyal, denied that the family had appointed Aashuutosh Srivastava as her lawyer, Srivastava sent a ₹10 crore defamation notice, alleging that false claims had been made about his role in the case.
"We have sent a ₹10 crore defamation notice to Sahil Goyal. We did this because we heard a statement from him where he is stating completely false facts, lying, and attempting to mislead the public. As far as the accused, Siya Goyal, is concerned, she has signed and authorised all necessary legal documents in every proper manner, and those documents, including the Vakalatnama have already been filed in court. She has granted us the legal authority for her High Court representation as well, which we will oversee moving forward, Aashuutosh told news agency PTI.
{{/usCountry}}"We have sent a ₹10 crore defamation notice to Sahil Goyal. We did this because we heard a statement from him where he is stating completely false facts, lying, and attempting to mislead the public. As far as the accused, Siya Goyal, is concerned, she has signed and authorised all necessary legal documents in every proper manner, and those documents, including the Vakalatnama have already been filed in court. She has granted us the legal authority for her High Court representation as well, which we will oversee moving forward, Aashuutosh told news agency PTI.
{{/usCountry}}Also read | ‘Death penalty for Siya, Chetan’: Ketan Agrawal's parents join march in Pune, demand swift action
He further said,"We have absolutely nothing to do with Sahil Goyal. We haven't spoken to him, had no communication with him on any subject, and exchanged no emails. Hence, a statement of this nature from him is highly irresponsible, defamatory, and constitutes an outright attack on the legal fraternity. As an accused, Siya Goyal has every legal right to retain a lawyer. Even if she wishes to change her counsel at any point, there is a formal legal procedure for that, which strictly requires a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Sahil Goyal must issue an apology for his statement, because we do not represent him, and he holds absolutely no authority to give false statements."
Competing claims over legal representation
The controversy emerged after advocate Aashuutosh Srivastava appeared publicly on behalf of Siya Goyal and questioned the evidentiary value of her alleged confession made while in police custody.
Also read | Who is Siya Goyal's lawyer? Fresh twist as accused's brother says Aashutosh Srivastava 'was never hired'
However, within a day, another advocate, Vipul Dushing, announced that he and his legal team were representing Siya in the case, creating confusion over who had been officially engaged by the accused.
Siya's brother rejects Srivastava's claim
Siya Goyal's brother, Sahil Goyal, has denied that the family had appointed Aashuutosh Srivastava as her lawyer.
"We have never hired him (Advocate Aashutosh Srivastava), and he is not someone that we have hired from our family. I know nothing about what he is claiming," Sahil Goyal told news agency ANI.
Police continues investigation
The row over legal representation comes a day after Pune Rural Police took Siya Goyal to Lohagad Fort to recreate the events of the June 18 death of her fiance, Ketan Agarwal.
Also read | Sitting down ‘signal’, Siya Goyal's ‘safety’: What police found in Ketan Agarwal's murder scene recreation
According to investigators, Goyal allegedly demonstrated how she signalled co-accused Chetan Chaudhary by sitting down, either pretending to drink water or tie her shoelaces, before Chaudhary allegedly pushed Agarwal off the cliff.
Police claimed the two visited the fort earlier to identify a suitable location for the crime and had even did a "practice" run. Officials say they are still verifying where the alleged rehearsal took place.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)