Siya Goyal’s lawyer sends Rs 10 crore defamation notice to her brother

A fresh legal battle has surfaced in the Ketan Agarwal murder case, with the lawyer claiming to represent accused Siya Goyal issuing a Rs 10 crore defamation notice to her brother, Sahil Goyal, over statements disputing his authority to act on her behalf.

Advocate Ashutosh Srivastava, in the legal notice, said Siya Goyal had formally appointed him through a duly executed vakalatnama and that the document had already been filed before the competent court. He maintained that his appointment was based on a valid legal authorisation voluntarily signed by his client and was neither unauthorised nor intended for publicity.

Ketan Agarwal’s death was first treated as a trekking accident at Lohagad Fort on 18 June, but police later said it was a planned murder involving his fiancée Siya Goyal and her alleged boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary.

Investigators now allege the two had been plotting for weeks or months, lured Ketan to the fort, staged a pretext around the trek, and pushed him off a cliff before trying to pass it off as a fall; the case was reclassified after the family raised suspicions and technical evidence pointed to conspiracy.

The notice alleges that Sahil Goyal made false and defamatory statements to the media by claiming that Srivastava had not been engaged by the family.

It contends that these remarks damaged the lawyer's professional reputation and subjected him to public criticism, threats, hostile phone calls and professional embarrassment.

According to the notice, the vakalatnama has already been accepted and placed on record before the Vadgaon Maval court. Srivastava further alleged that Sahil questioned his authority publicly without first verifying the court records or contacting him.

The notice demands that Sahil immediately withdraw the alleged defamatory remarks, issue a public apology and provide a written undertaking that he will refrain from making similar statements in future.

It also warns that if the demands are not met within the stipulated period, Srivastava will initiate legal proceedings, including a civil suit seeking Rs 10 crore in damages for alleged reputational and professional loss.

The dispute emerged ahead of a court hearing in the murder case on Monday, when Sahil Goyal told reporters that Srivastava had neither been appointed nor authorised by the family to represent his sister. He further alleged that the advocate may have obtained Siya Goyal's signature "by deceit".

Sahil also said the family had appointed Advocate Vipul Dushing as its legal representative and had filed an affidavit before the court on the issue. He additionally alleged that Srivastava had threatened family members.

The latest exchange adds a fresh legal dimension to the high-profile murder case, with the dispute now extending beyond the criminal proceedings to a separate defamation battle.

With IANS inputs