Goa MLA slams CM Sawant over Sonali Phogat death probe
Aug 26, 2022
Panaji (Goa) [India], August 26 : Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai on Thursday took a swipe at the BJP-led state government over the probe into the death of actor Sonali Phogat.
"Yesterday they said she died of heart attack. Today, post-mortem revealed several blunt force injuries. It proves Chief Minister likes to give clean chit, jump the gun. This is giving Goa a bad name. This shows the state of affairs here," Sardesai said.
Notably, Goa CM Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said preliminary reports suggested Sonali Phogat died of cardiac arrest.
The brother of deceased actor and BJP leader Sonali Phogat on Thursday claimed that her post-mortem report showed injury marks on her body.
"A probe should be done as per the filed FIR. The post-mortem report says that her (Sonali Phogat) body has marks of injury," said Rinku Dhaka, brother of Phogat.
Meanwhile, Goa Police on Thursday said no sharp-edged injuries were found on the body of the actor.
The Goa Police on Thursday also registered a murder case against two persons for their alleged involvement in the death of Phogat.
Phogat's body will reach Delhi tonight.
"Murder case has been registered against two persons in Anjuna Police Station. The probe in the case is underway. The deceased's brother has mentioned the involvement of her PA and one other person. Post-mortem report expected in 1-2 hours. Victim's body will reach Delhi tonight," OS Bishnoi, Inspector General of Police, Goa told ANI.
"Women police officers who conducted a physical examination of Sonali Phogat's body have not found any sharp-edged injuries on the body," added the IGP Bishnoi.
Further, Rinku said the actor had no plans to visit Goa and she was brought there as per a conspiracy.
"She had no plan to come to Goa. She was brought as per a pre-planned conspiracy. There was no movie shoot. Two rooms in the hotel had been booked only for two days. Film shooting was supposed to happen on August 24 but rooms were only booked for August 21-22," he said.
Phogat was brought dead to the St Anthony Hospital at Anjuna in North Goa on Tuesday morning. While preliminary reports suggested that she died of a cardiac arrest, her family members suspect foul play.
Phogat's brother Rinku Dhaka has filed a complaint with Goa Police, alleging that his sister was raped and murdered by her personal assistant Sudhir Sangwan and his friend Sukhwinder.
In the complaint, Rinku stated that Phogat had spoken to her mother, sister and brother-in-law a few hours before her demise on August 23. Rinku alleged that Phogat's PA raped her after adding drugs to her meals.
Speaking to ANI, Sonali's nephew Moninder Phogat said, "Hume shak nahi hume yakin hai ki aisa hua hai unke saath. (We are sure that our sister was raped and murdered)."
Phogat's 15-year-old daughter Yashodhara sought justice for her mother.
Phogat contested the last Assembly election from Haryana from the Adampur constituency on a BJP ticket against Kuldeep Bishnoi. She also appeared in the reality show 'Bigg Boss' in 2020.
