Confusion over legal representation has deepened in the Lohagad Fort murder case against 20‑year‑old accused Siya Goyal, with two lawyers now asserting that they are arguing her case.
One of the lawyers, Advocate Aashuutosh Srivastava, has issued a legal notice to Sahil Goyal, brother of accused Siya, seeking damages of ₹10 crore over public remarks disputing his appointment as her lawyer.
The notice alleges that Sahil’s June 29 media statement, claiming Srivastava was never engaged by the family, is false, misleading and has caused professional disrepute to the lawyer.
Siya Goyal is in police custody in connection with the alleged murder of her fiancé, Pune‑based realtor Ketan Agarwal, who was allegedly pushed to his death from Lohagad Fort near Lonavala on June 18.
The case is being investigated by Lonavala Rural Police and is currently before the magistrate court in Wadgaon Mawal, Pune, where remand proceedings are underway.
Srivastava has claimed that Siya Goyal executed vakalatnamas on June 25 appointing him and his associates to represent her before the magistrate as well as before the Bombay High Court. He further said that these documents have been accepted and placed on record before the respective courts.
However, Advocate Vipul Dushing claims that he was hired by Goyal’s family to represent the accused. He has also stated that during the June 29 remand hearing, Goyal told the magistrate that she had engaged only Dushing as her lawyer.
The dispute escalated after Goyal’s brother Sahil reportedly told the media on June 29 that Srivastava had not been hired by the family, triggering a public tussle over who speaks for the accused.
In a video statement to media persons, Srivastava said that a legal notice had been sent to Sahil because of his statement to the press:
“We have heard a statement where he is lying and trying to mislead people. As far as the accused Siya Goyal is concerned, she has signed and authorized all the documents and that document has also been filed in the court,” he said.
Srivastava has stressed that his team has never spoken to Sahil and has not had a conversation over the phone, nor has there been any email exchange.
“His irresponsible statement is defamatory and wrong. It is a wrong attack on legal fraternity,” the lawyer said.
“As far as Siya Goyal is concerned, she is a major. She has every right to appoint a lawyer,” Srivastava said, demanding that Sahil should immediately apologise and clarify that his statement was without any authority.