Everyone is entitled to an opinion. But what happens when that opinion appears to mock a murder victim and turns a violent crime into a punchline?
As the country continued to follow the investigation into the murder of Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal, allegedly killed by his fiancée Siya Goyal and her alleged partner at Lohagad Fort, another controversy unfolded online. This time, it centred on a dentist’s Instagram video that many viewed as insensitive, leading to professional action and a wider debate about empathy, accountability and the limits of online expression.
The Video
Dr. Muskan Soni, a Madhya Pradesh-based dentist and then treasurer of the All India Dental Students and Surgeons Association (AIDSA), Madhya Pradesh, uploaded an Instagram video referencing Agarwal’s death.
In the video, she mocked reports about his hair loss, saying words to the effect of, “That guy from Pune didn’t even have hair. If you lie, you’ll obviously die,” before using the hashtag #IHateMen and remarking that the “mard samaj” (men’s community) was now living in fear.
Many viewers interpreted the video as adopting a casual, mocking tone, ridiculing the victim’s appearance while referencing his death. For many viewers, the combination of humour, hashtags and the context of an ongoing murder investigation crossed a line.
Watch the video, shared by advocate Ishkaran Singh Bhandari, below:
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What Happened Next
The clip quickly went viral, drawing widespread criticism across social media.
On June 29, 2026, AIDSA suspended Soni from her position as the Madhya Pradesh treasurer and barred her from the association for five years. In its suspension order, the organisation said she had committed acts of indiscipline and made “highly inappropriate, offensive and disrespectful remarks” regarding Ketan Agarwal, violating the association’s constitution and code of conduct.
AIDSA president Dr. Divakar Moodautiya said the organisation follows a zero-tolerance policy towards statements that appear to justify, glorify or trivialise violence.
Soni later uploaded two videos responding to the controversy. In the first, she apologised for the words she had used but also described them as a joke and suggested viewers had misunderstood the context of her original post. She acknowledged using the phrase “I hate men” while indicating she was willing to remove it if people found it offensive.
Watch Muskan Soni’s first apology video below:
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In a second video, she said she had been unfairly judged by people who did not know her personally and described much of the online response as trolling. While reiterating that she was apologising, she also maintained that she had been misunderstood.
Watch the second apology here:
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AIDSA, however, did not revoke the disciplinary action, maintaining that the seriousness of her remarks warranted the suspension.
The Context
The premise of Soni’s remark itself was disputed.
Following speculation that Agarwal had hidden his hair loss by wearing a wig, his family clarified that his hair loss resulted from a medical condition and that this had been disclosed to Siya Goyal’s family before their engagement. Their statement contradicted the suggestion that he had deceived his fiancée about his appearance.
Meanwhile, the murder investigation remains ongoing. Police allege that Goyal, who was reportedly unwilling to proceed with the marriage, conspired with her alleged partner, Chetan Chaudhary, to kill Agarwal at Lohagad Fort on June 18. Both remain in custody while investigators continue to reconstruct the sequence of events.
The controversy also became part of a broader conversation online. Several commentators, including advocate Ishkaran Singh Bhandari, argued that the episode highlighted the need for equal empathy and accountability when male victims of violent crimes are discussed.
Read more: Siya’s Unusual Reaction, Previous Failed Attempt, Ketan’s Lost Passport: Further Details In Pune Fort Murder Case
Public Reaction
At the same time, the backlash itself was not without excesses. While many criticised Soni’s remarks and supported AIDSA’s disciplinary action, sections of social media quickly descended into personal abuse.
Several posts on X/Twitter questioned both Soni’s remarks and her subsequent apology. The verified account of NCMIndia Council shared her second apology video, writing, “Dr. Muskan Soni posted another apology video to justify her ‘I Hate Men’ hashtag but it seems even this one will not be able to help her much.”
Another widely shared post by @Chandra4BJP described the incident as “Feminism in a nutshell for you” and asked, “Can you trust any feminist doctor anymore?” The posts reflected how the controversy had expanded beyond the original Instagram video into a broader online debate about gender, accountability and empathy.
The controversy also sparked discussions across multiple Reddit communities. In a thread titled, “Female dentist Muskan Soni allegedly mocked Ketan Agarwal’s death and said he ‘deserved it’ because he was bald. Now AIDSA has reportedly suspended her for 5 years” on r/IndiaPulse_, many users argued that the suspension was justified while questioning whether the apology reflected genuine remorse.
One user wrote, “Cancel her medical license as well. She seems mentally unfit to practice medicine.” Another commented, “Imagine if a guy said that about women lol,” suggesting the public response may have differed if the genders were reversed.
Similar reactions appeared on r/MOofEverything, where a post about Muskan Soni’s apology and suspension drew similar reactions. Among the comments were, “Right decision…”, while another user wrote, “Name and shame everyone who rejoices in the murder of an innocent.”
Beyond The Controversy
What makes the Muskan Soni controversy striking isn’t merely that she made an insensitive remark. It is how naturally a real person’s violent death became material for social media commentary. Within seconds, an ongoing murder case was reduced to a joke about someone’s appearance and folded into a larger commentary on gender. That instinct to turn personal tragedy into content is perhaps the more worrying trend.
Her response to the backlash did little to change that perception. While she apologised for her choice of words, much of her explanation focused on context, intent and the criticism directed at her. For many viewers, those explanations appeared to overshadow the apology itself, leaving the impression that she was defending the sentiment more than fully acknowledging why it had caused offence.
The controversy also reignited a familiar debate. Do male victims receive the same empathy as female victims? Much of the criticism surrounding Soni’s remarks stemmed from the belief that had the genders been reversed, the outrage would likely have been immediate and nearly universal. Whether or not one agrees with that comparison, the incident does underline a broader principle. Compassion for victims should not depend on their gender. Condemning violence against women and extending empathy to male victims are not competing positions; they are part of the same standard.
That is where AIDSA’s response stands apart. Rather than participating in the online pile-on, it imposed a defined professional sanction based on its code of conduct. Institutions are expected to evaluate conduct, while social media often rushes to judge character.
Ultimately, the Muskan Soni controversy is about more than one viral video. It reflects how easily grief becomes content, outrage becomes harassment, and public discourse loses sight of the very empathy it claims to defend.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, The Times Of India, Mint
Find the blogger: @diptisadh
This post is tagged under: Ketan Agarwal, Sia Goyal, Chetan Chaudhary, Muskan Soni, dentist, Instagram, Muskan Soni suspended, Muskan Soni controversy, Pune murder case, Instagram controversy, hair patch controversy, AIDSA, dentist suspended, Ketan Agarwal murder, men’s issues, social media outrage, gender equality, viral controversy
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