A new legal controversy has deepened the already high-profile Ketan Agrawal murder case in Pune, with a Rs.10 crore defamation notice now escalating tensions between the accused’s legal counsel and her family.

Advocate Ashish Srivastava, who claims to represent murder accused Sia Goyal, has issued the hefty legal notice to her brother, Sahil Goyal, accusing him of making defamatory statements that allegedly damaged his professional reputation.

Dispute Begins Over Legal Representation

The conflict began when Sahil Goyal publicly questioned whether Advocate Ashish Srivastava was officially appointed to represent his sister Sia Goyal. Speaking to the media, Sahil alleged that the family had not authorised Srivastava and claimed that another lawyer, Advocate Vipul Dushing, had been appointed instead.

He further raised suspicions that Sia’s signatures on legal documents may have been obtained without proper consent and stated that an affidavit supporting the family’s position had already been filed in court.

Lawyer Defends Appointment, Cites Signed Vakalatnama

In response, Advocate Srivastava issued a legal notice asserting that his appointment is fully valid and directly authorised by Sia Goyal.

He stated that Sia, as an adult accused in the case, voluntarily signed a Vakalatnama appointing him as her legal representative. According to him, the document is already part of the official court record and can be produced whenever required, making the appointment legally binding.

Why the Rs.10 Crore Defamation Notice Was Issued

The legal notice accuses Sahil Goyal of making unverified public statements that allegedly harmed Srivastava’s professional credibility.

It claims that Sahil’s remarks created a false impression that the lawyer was misrepresenting himself as Sia’s counsel. The notice further states that these allegations led to online harassment, trolling, threats, and reputational damage.

Demands Made in the Notice

Srivastava’s notice demands that Sahil Goyal immediately withdraw his statements, issue a public apology, and submit a written assurance that he will not repeat such allegations.

It also warns that failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe could result in civil and legal proceedings, including a damages claim of Rs.10 crore.