Sonali Phogat death: Goa team in Haryana, CM Pramod Sawant indicates Goa police may probe case for now

Stating that a Deputy SP-level officer is leading the investigation, he said, “I have full faith in our police team; they will carry out a very good investigation.”

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had spoken with Sawant two days ago after Phogat’s family met him. On Tuesday, Sawant said that a confidential report of the investigation has been sent to Khattar and the Haryana DGP.

Goa Police sources said a team of two inspectors and a constable left for Haryana on Tuesday morning.

The police team was likely to reach Gurgaon, Haryana, late Tuesday evening and inspect the flat where Phogat and her personal assistant, Sudhir Sangwan, had allegedly stayed before leaving for Goa. Sangwan and his aide, Sukhwinder Singh, have been arrested in connection with Phogat’s murder. According to Goa Police, the two had partied with Phogat at the Curlies beach shack in Anjuna on August 22 night — she died the following day — and allegedly given her methamphetamine in a drink “forcefully”.

Sangwan had purportedly told Goa Police that a Tata Safari vehicle was kept in the parking lot of the Gurgaon apartment complex and the flat’s keys were in the car.

The Goa police team is also likely to visit Phogat’s farmhouse in Hisar, as also Rohtak (Haryana), Adampur (Punjab) and Chandigarh as part of their investigation.

Phogat’s brother, Rinku, on Tuesday told the media that Goa Police should open her Gurgaon flat in the presence of her family members. “We fear several pieces of evidence have already been destroyed by the accused and if the flat is opened in our absence, more evidence could be destroyed,” .Rinku claimed.

Besides Sangwan and Sukhwinder, three other people have been arrested by Goa Police in a separate offence under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act registered against them: Edwin Nunes, owner of Curlies, and alleged drug peddlers Dattaprasad Gaonkar and Rama Mandrekar.

On Tuesday, the Goa CM said, “We have seized Curlies and will take further legal action against it.” If needed, he said, the shack will be shut down.

Phogat’s family members have been demanding a CBI probe in this case. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has also said that a CBI investigation should be conducted in the case to unveil the truth and arrest all the culprits involved in the case.