Goa police arrest two men for 'murder' of BJP leader Sonali Phogat; injury marks found on body

Panaji: The Goa police on Thursday arrested two persons and charged them with murder in connection with the death of Haryana-based Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sonali Phogat, an official said.

The two, Sudhir Sagwan and Sukhwinder Wasi, are said to be associates of Phogat (42), who was brought dead to the St Anthony Hospital in Anjuna in North Goa district on August 23 morning.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Mapusa) Jivba Dalvi told PTI that both the accused have been arrested under murder charge.

“The Anjuna police have arrested Sudhir Sagwan and Sukhwinder Wasi in connection with the murder,” he said.

Both the accused were named by Phogat's brother Rinku Dhaka in his complaint filed with the Anjuna police on Wednesday.

Sagwan and Wasi had accompanied Phogat when she arrived in Goa on August 22.

A post-mortem report has mentioned that there were "multiple blunt force injuries" on the BJP leader's body.

A panel of forensic experts from the Goa Medical College and Hospital conducted the autopsy on her body on Thursday morning after her family agreed to the procedure.

Dr Sunil Shrikant Chimbolkar of the Forensic Science Department of GMCH in his report reserved the opinion on the cause of death.

“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,” the report said.

“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," it added.

Phogat, who hailed from Hisar in Haryana and found fame on TikTok, was brought dead to the St Anthony Hospital in Anjuna in North Goa district on August 23 morning. The cause was given as a suspected heart attack.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters in Panaji on Thursday that state Director General of Police Jaspal Singh was personally monitoring the investigation.

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.

On Thursday morning, Sonali Phogat's nephew Mohinder Phogat told PTI that the family had consented to autopsy on condition that it would be video-graphed.

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.