2 Lawyers In Siya Goyal Case And A Rs 10-Crore Defamation Suit

Aashuutosh Srivastava or Vipul Dushing - who is representing Siya Goyal in the Ketan Agarwal murder probe? This one question has sparked a fresh legal battle in the Pune fort murder case with Aashuutosh Srivastava issuing a Rs 10 crore defamation notice to Siya Goyal's brother, Sahil.Siya Goyal, along with her lover, Chetan Chaudhary, is accused of pushing her fiance, Ketan, to death from a cliff at the Lohagad Fort in Pune on June 18.Who Is Siya's Lawyer?Pune-based advocate Srivastava claimed Siya has appointed him as her lawyer in the Ketan Agarwal murder case. He also said Siya had signed a vakalatnama authorising him to appear on her behalf. However, her brother, Sahil refuted these claims and said the Goyal family has approached advocate Vipul Dushing to defend Siya.NDTV spoke to the two lawyers at the centre of the controversy, and both claimed to be the legal representative of Siya.Also Read | 'Secret Call', Deleted Chats: New Findings In Ketan Agarwal Murder ProbeThe dispute escalated after the prime accused Siya, during a hearing before the Vadagaon Maval court, reportedly stated that "Aashuutosh Srivastava is not my lawyer. Vipul Dushing is representing me."Rs 10 Crore Defamation Notice To Siya Goyal's BrotherSrivastava has now issued a legal notice to Sahil Goyal, seeking Rs 10 crore in damages. He has also sought the immediate withdrawal of "false, frivolous, derogatory, disparaging, distorted, slanderous, malicious, malevolent and defamatory media statement along with public apology."In a 10-page legal notice, Srivastava said that any public statement falsely suggesting that he acted without authority or appointment is "per se defamatory and causes direct professional injury."The advocate claimed that as an adult, Siya Goyal "duly executed and signed" the vakalatnama in his favour for her legal defence."The said appointment was not an oral claim, not a media projection and not an unauthorised assertion, but a legal authority voluntarily given by an adult accused/client," he added.Srivastava alleged that Sahil's public statement suggesting that he has not been appointed or authorised by family members caused "quantified and unquantified losses, including loss of professional goodwill, mental trauma, reputational injury, loss of confidence among existing/prospective clients, and increased personal risk due to the hostile atmosphere created by the media narrative."Also Read | Siya Goyal Took 1 Crore From Fiance For Wedding Shopping, Gave It To Lover: SourcesAs a result, he called upon Sahil to remove the defamatory video byte and statements and all republications from YouTube and social media platforms, WhatsApp groups and news portals.Srivastava also asked Sahil to compensate him with Rs 10 crore in damages within seven days and issue an unconditional written apology and public retraction within 48 hours. The legal notice also calls upon Sahil to provide a written guarantee to never make such claims in the future.Ketan Agarwal Murder ProbeThe court on Monday extended Siya and co-accused Chetan's police custody by five days. Presenting their case for an extension, police said they needed to carry out a crime scene recreation with both the accused present. They also informed the court that Siya had allegedly torn and burnt Ketan's passport, and that efforts were still underway to recover the remains.Also Read | Ditched Car For Scooter, A Codeword: Siya Goyal, Lover's Murder PlanPolice noted that Chetan had changed his clothes after the murder and his subsequent movements needed to be traced. Investigators are also working to establish the details of phone conversations the two accused allegedly had after the incident.