New Delhi: Actor and Haryana BJP leader Sonali Phogat was forced to take drugs by her associate Sukhwinder Singh and personal assistant Sudhir Sangwan hours before her death on 23 August, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has said in its chargesheet.
The probe agency accused the two of murder in the document filed before the judicial magistrate in Goa’s Mapusa court on Tuesday.
On the evening of 23 August, the 41-year-old was seen staggering out of the restaurant-turned-nightclub Curlies on the Anjuna Beach. She was being helped by her associates, security camera footage showed.
Phogat was taken to the St Anthony’s Hospital next morning where she was declared dead.
On the basis of a complaint by Phogat’s brother Rinku Dhaka, the police arrested Sukhwinder Singh and Sudhir Sangwan three days later.
During the initial probe, the Goa Police had claimed Phogat died of a heart attack, but leaned more towards murder as more damning evidence surfaced after the associates were arrested. The post-mortem report also revealed “multiple blunt force injuries” on her body.
Police claimed they had video footage from the restaurant’s security cameras that showed Sangwan trying to force a drink down Phogat’s throat.
After demands from various quarters, including the Haryana government, the CBI took over the case in the middle of September.
Her brother told the media that Phogat had spoken to her mother, sister, and brother-in-law shortly before her death that day. She sounded disturbed and complained about the two men.
Dhaka also alleged that Sangwan fed her “kheer” a few months ago which made her hands and legs tremble. He said Phogat confided in him three years ago that Sangwan had sexually assaulted her after spiking her food and later blackmailed her.
Curlies owner Edwin Nunes was also arrested in the murder case in Septmber but was let out on bail. Earlier this month, the Telangana Police picked him up in a drug case.
Sonali Phogat, who rose to fame with her TikTok videos, contested the 2019 Haryana election as a BJP candidate but lost to then Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi (he has since joined the BJP). She also appeared in the reality show Bigg Boss in 2020.
Also read: Sonali Phogat death case: Family accuses BJP leader Kuldeep Bishnoi of murder