The high-profile Ketan Agrawal murder case has taken a fresh turn, with a legal dispute erupting even as the police investigation gathers pace. While the Vadgaon Maval Court has remanded the two main accused, Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary, to police custody until July 3, advocate Ashutosh Srivastava has sent a legal notice seeking Rs 10 crore in damages to Siya's brother, Sahil Goyal, over alleged defamation. The notice comes amid an ongoing controversy over who is officially representing Siya Goyal in court, with conflicting claims emerging from her family and the advocate.
Confusion in court over Siya Goyal's legal representation
An unusual situation occurred during the court proceedings when two different lawyers appeared on behalf of Siya Goyal. Both advocates were carrying separate vakalatnamas bearing Siya Goyal's signatures, and both presented arguments before the court on her behalf. However, after the arguments concluded, Siya Goyal herself raised her hand in court and stated that "Ashutosh Srivastava is not my lawyer."
At the same time, Srivastava claimed he was legally authorised to represent Siya, stating that he possessed a signed affidavit executed by her, based on which he had appeared before the court.
Family denies appointing Ashutosh Srivastava
Over the past few days, Ashutosh Srivastava had been speaking to the media, identifying himself as Siya Goyal's legal counsel and presenting her side of the case. Meanwhile, Goyal's family consistently maintained that they had never appointed him as her lawyer. "We have not appointed Ashutosh as our lawyer," the family has repeatedly claimed in interactions with the media.
Despite these contradictory claims, Srivastava appeared before the court and argued on behalf of Siya Goyal. Following the proceedings, he served Sahil Goyal with a legal notice demanding Rs 10 crore in damages over alleged defamation.
Police continue to probe murder conspiracy
As the legal controversy has erupted, investigators are continuing to examine the Ketan Agrawal murder case in detail. The Vadgaon Maval Court has granted police custody of Sia Goyal and co-accused Chetan until July 3 to facilitate further investigation.
According to the police, 13 crucial articles connected to the case have already been seized. However, investigators informed the court that several important pieces of evidence are still to be collected. Police are also trying to establish where the two accused used to meet, despite living at different locations and where the alleged conspiracy to murder Ketan Agrawal was planned. Officials said other aspects of the case are also being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
