Pune: Who Is Siya Goyal’s Real Lawyer? Brother Denies Hiring Advocate Aashutosh Srivastava
Pune: Who Is Siya Goyal's Real Lawyer? Brother Denies Hiring Advocate Aashutosh Srivastava
Pune, June 29, 2026: A fresh twist has emerged in the Ketan Agarwal murder case after uncertainty surfaced over who is officially representing prime accused Siya Goyal in court. The confusion arose after Goyal’s brother denied appointing advocate Aashutosh Srivastava, even as another lawyer claimed to be representing her.
Speaking to reporters outside the Vadgaon Maval Police Station on Monday, Siya Goyal’s brother, Sahil Goyal, said advocate Aashutosh Srivastava had never been hired by the family.
“We have never hired him, and he is not someone engaged by our family. I do not know anything about the claims he is making,” Sahil Goyal said.
The development came a day after advocate Aashutosh Srivastava publicly appeared before the media as Goyal’s counsel, questioning the admissibility of her alleged confession made during police custody. He argued that any confession recorded while an accused is in police custody cannot be treated as admissible evidence under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).
Srivastava had also stated that the defence would challenge the prosecution’s shift from initially treating Ketan Agarwal’s death as an accident to later investigating it as a murder. He further claimed that Goyal had cooperated with investigators and that sufficient police custody had already been granted for interrogation. According to him, the defence would seek judicial custody instead of any further police remand.
However, on Monday, advocate Vipul Dushing told reporters that he and his legal team would be representing Siya Goyal in the case.
“We are representing Siya in this case. The matter is still at a very preliminary stage. We will present our arguments before the court accordingly,” Dushing said.
Adding to the uncertainty, advocate Priyanka Baradkar, who identified herself as junior counsel to advocate Aashutosh Srivastava, also arrived at Lonavala Police Station ahead of the hearing. She declined to comment on the case, saying it would be inappropriate to speak before the court proceedings.
Meanwhile, the legal developments came a day after Pune Rural Police conducted a crime scene recreation at Lohagad Fort as part of the investigation into the June 18 death of Ketan Agarwal.
According to investigators, Siya Goyal allegedly demonstrated how she signalled co-accused Chetan Chaudhary by sitting down on the pretext of drinking water or tying her shoelaces, following which Chaudhary allegedly pushed Agrawal into a deep gorge.
Police claim the signal was deliberately planned to ensure Goyal remained out of Agrawal’s reach during the alleged attack.
Investigators have also alleged that Chaudhary travelled nearly 90 kilometres to Lohagad Fort on a scooter instead of a car to avoid toll plaza surveillance records. Police further claim he removed and later wore back his hoodie to avoid being identified.
According to the investigation, the accused had allegedly visited the fort earlier to identify a suitable location for the crime and had even carried out a “practice run.” Police said they are continuing to verify the exact location where the alleged rehearsal took place.
The investigation into the murder case is ongoing, and the allegations made by the police are yet to be tested before the court.
