Sonali Phogat's funeral: The last rites of Haryana BJP leader Sonali Phogat, who died under mysterious circumstances in Goa, were held on Friday even as a large number of people turned up to pay their last respects. Phogat's teenage daughter Yashodhara lit the funeral pyre as she and the other family members bade her a tearful adieu at the cremation ground in Rishi Nagar.
Phogat, who started her career as a news anchor, later found fame on video hosting platform TikTok and also acted in a few movies. On Thursday evening, her body was brought to her farmhouse here from Goa to enable people pay their tributes. Haryana Minister Kamal Gupta, the BJP MLA from Hisar, and another party leader Kuldeep Bishnoi were present.
On August 23 morning, Phogat was rushed to St Anthony Hospital at Anjuna in North Goa, where she was declared dead. Her husband, too, had died under mysterious circumstances a few years ago. Though initially, it was assumed that she may have died due to a heart attack, a post-mortem report mentioned that there were "multiple blunt force injuries" on her body, prompting the Goa Police to press charges of murder against two of her associates Sudhir Sagwan and Sukhwinder Wasi.
Her brother Rinku Dhaka had filed a complaint against the two men at Anjuna Police Station on Wednesday. On Thursday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said his government will consider handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation if the Phogat family wanted so. On Friday, Kuldeep Bishnoi said he had spoken to the chief minister and urged him for a CBI inquiry.
Accused in Sonali Phogat `murder' case questioned
Two associates of BJP leader from Haryana Sonali Phogat were questioned overnight by Goa Police in connection with her alleged murder. Sudhir Sagwan and Sukhwinder Wasi, whose names figure as accused in the First Information Report (FIR) for murder, have been detained but not arrested yet. Both were questioned overnight.
If family wants CBI probe, will consider: Khattar
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said if BJP leader Sonali Phogat's family wants a CBI probe into her death, it will be considered. "If the family gives in writing, we will take the issue further," Khattar said while adding he had also spoken to his Goa counterpart after the incident.
Also Read | Sonali Phogat death: Postmortem report reveals 'multiple blunt force injuries'; 2 held | Top Points
What the autopsy report said
The cause of death due to the best of my knowledge and belief is reserved pending chemical analysis. Histopathology and serological reports of the tissues preserved. However, there are multiple blunt force injuries over the body. In view of the above, the manner of death is for the investigating officer to ascertain.
The autopsy was earlier scheduled on Wednesday, but Phogat's brother claimed she was murdered by two of her associates and the family would agree to autopsy only after an FIR was registered against them.
Dhaka, her brother, had alleged that a short while before her death, Phogat had spoken to her mother, sister and brother-in-law.
She sounded disturbed during the conversation and complained against her two colleagues, he claimed. Three years ago, one of her aides had sexually assaulted her after spiking her food and later blackmailed her, Dhaka further alleged in the police complaint.
Also Read | Sonali Phogat death: Drugs, blackmailing, conspiracy - the mystery deepens
