Pune fort murder case: Chetan Bhagat says if Siya is guilty, law will punish her

In an exclusive interview with India Today, author and columnist Chetan Bhagat addressed the intense public scrutiny surrounding his controversial column on the Pune murder mystery involving Siya Goyal. Discussing the tragic case, Bhagat defended his perspective, stating, 'If Siya is a criminal, the law will punish her and only the law can punish her.' He clarified that his goal was not to justify the alleged crime but to explain the underlying societal issues. Bhagat strongly criticised the culture within India's business families, arguing that they remain highly regressive and controlling. He pointed out that children in these affluent households are often stripped of their independence, heavily reliant on their parents for financial stability, and unable to make basic life choices, including marriage. Emphasising the persistent lack of individual agency, he noted that parents constantly oppose marriages, attributing this to the harsh reality of parental control in India.