Goa Police arrested two associates of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sonali Phogat, Sudhir Sagwan and Sukhwinder Wasi, in connection with her murder case, on Thursday, 25 August.
This comes hours after Goa Police added sections of murder to the registered First Information Report (FIR). Her post-mortem report revealed 'multiple blunt force injuries' on her body.
The police registered the FIR against Sudhir Sangwan and Sukhwinder on the complaint of Phogat's brother Rinku Dhaka and said that a three-doctor panel conducted the post-mortem examination in the presence of family members.
Dhaka had claimed that Phogat was murdered by two of her associates. He earlier said that the family would only allow the post-mortem after the Goa Police registered the FIR against the associates.
Phogat's family has reportedly demanded a CBI enquiry into her death. "We will do as the family members ask for, if they give us their demands in writing, we will give it for further process," Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar said.
On Thursday, Haryana Minister Anil Vij told ANI that "her family is making serious allegations and a high-level inquiry should be conducted to reveal the truth."
This came after a family member on Thursday said that her family has agreed to give their consent for the post-mortem, but on the condition that the procedure is videographed.
Dr Sunil Shrikant Chimbolkar of the Forensic Science Department of GMCH, in his report, reserved his opinion on the cause of death, reported news agency PTI.
"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.
As of now, her body is in the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital morgue near Panaji. On Thursday evening, IGS OS Bishnoi told ANI that her body would reach Delhi by Thursday night.
Phogat Spoke to Family Before Her Death: Dhaka
Dhaka also claimed 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 about her two colleagues, he alleged.
In his complaint, he also alleged that three years ago, one of her aides had sexually assaulted her after spiking her food and later blackmailed her, reported PTI.
Phogat (42), a BJP leader from Hisar in Haryana, who had found fame on TikTok, was brought dead at the St Anthony Hospital in the Anjuna area of the North Goa district on 23 August, a police official earlier said, adding that she had died of a suspected heart attack.
The police subsequently registered a case of unnatural death. The body is currently kept in the GMCH morgue.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)