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Deputy police superintendent rank officer to now lead probe into Phogat’s death
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant refused to confirm plans about handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation
A deputy police superintendent rank officer will now lead the probe into Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and actor Sonali Phogat’s death in Goa last week, chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday while refusing to confirm plans about handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“Earlier an inspector led the probe..our investigation team should reach Haryana today [Tuesday]. They are doing this investigation thoroughly and I think whoever is the culprit will definitely be brought to book,” Sawant said. He said he has also sent a confidential report to his Haryana counterpart, Manohar Lal Khattar
Sawant said the Goa Police were doing a very good investigation when asked about the plans to hand over the case to the CBI
The Goa Police have so far arrested five people including Phogat’s manager Sudhir Sangwan and associate Sukhwinder Singh for allegedly murdering her and forcing her to have the recreational drug methamphetamine on the night she died.
Edwin Nunes, the owner of the Curlies nightclub, where Phogat spent her final hours, and Dattaprasad Gaonkar, a room boy at the resort, where she stayed, have also been arrested. Gaonkar is accused of supplying methamphetamine to Sangwan and Singh. Rama Mandrekar, the alleged supplier of the drug, has also been arrested.
Police initially registered an unnatural death case after Phogat was reported to have died of a heart attack. A murder case was registered later on the basis of her family’s complaint. CCTV footage showed Sangwan and Singh making her have a drink believed to have been spiked with methamphetamine.
