Insight Bureau: Ever since death of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sonali Phogat, the case has witnessed numerous developments, with multiple accusations made by the family and the subsequent unfurling police investigation.
On August 23, the 41-year-old actor-turned-politician Phogat died while on shooting in Goa. The Goa Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) and arrested two of the suspect, Sukhwinder Singh and Sudhir Sangwan (Phogat’s personal assistant), based on a complaint filed by Phogat’s brother, Rinku Dhaka.
Sonali was born in Bhutan Kalan, a village near Hisar in Haryana, in 1979. In 2006, she began acting with Hisar Door Darshan. She has been a member of the BJP since 2008, when she joined the national working committee and was appointed as the Mahila Morcha’s national vice-president. In Haryanvi films, she appeared alongside actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan and Jimmy Sheirgill. In 2019, she made her OTT debut with the web series ‘The Story of Badmashgarh.’
Security camera footage also shows Phogat simply astonishing out of Curlies, a popular Goa restaurant. She was shown in the video being unable to walk on her own and being assisted by her aide. A senior officer said that on Saturday, August 27, Goa Police detained a North Goa restaurant owner and a suspected drug peddler who supposedly supplied drugs to Singh and Sangwan.
Allegations Made By Phogat’s Family
- Her family denied she died of a heart attack, claiming she had no medical issues and it was unimaginable for her to have died of a heart attack. “She was in fine condition. We demand that the CBI conduct a thorough investigation (Central Bureau of Investigation). My family is still having a hard time accepting that she died of a heart attack “Rupesh, Phogat’s sister, had stated.
2. Later, Dhaka claimed in his complaint that Phogat had spoken to her mother, sister, and brother-in-law sometime before her death. He claimed she sounded disturbed during the conversation and complained about her two coworkers, adding that she planned to report it to Hisar Police the next day.
3. He also claimed that three months ago, Sudhir fed her kheer, which caused her “hands and legs to tremble and stop working.”
4. He also claimed that Sonali told him three years ago that Sudhir sexually assaulted her after jacking up her food and later blackmailed her, adding to the list of allegations. Sudhir is also charged with stealing her phones, property papers, ATM card, and house keys.
Her drink had indeed been spiked with the synthetic drug MDMA, according to a police investigation which included a chemical examination of her viscera and other tests. A video of Sonali Phogat being forced to consume a beverage has surfaced. Interrogation of the accused, according to the source, revealed that 1.5 grams of MDMA were mixed in the beverage. Sudhir obtained the MDMA from a drug dealer outside the club.
While the police are investigating, a heart wrenching video of her daughter has emerged on social media. The 15-year-old is noticeably traumatized in the viral video as she speaks about her mother. “”My mother deserves justice,” she says, adding, “A thorough investigation should be conducted.” The guilty party should be punished.”