Hisar3 hours ago
The Goa Police, probing the murder of Haryana BJP leader Sonali Phogat, conducted a search at her farm house on Wednesday. Two member teams of Goa Police searched every nook and corner of the farm house for about 5 hours. The entire search was done in the presence of Sonali’s family members. The Goa Police also included Sonali’s 15-year-old daughter Yashodhara in its investigation.
The team reached Sonali’s farm house at around 1 pm on Wednesday and left at 6 pm. After leaving Sonali’s farm house, Goa Police officials went to Hisar Sadar police station and then from there to Hisar CIA police station. The team will stay in Hisar on Wednesday night itself.
On Thursday, Goa Police officers will search Sonali’s Kothi in Santnagar, Hisar. The lawyer who prepared the lease papers of Sonali’s land for Sudhir Sangwan will also be questioned. After the completion of the investigation in Hisar, Goa Police will take Sonali’s family members along and search her flat in Gurugram.
The Goa Police officer has brought from Sonali’s PA Sudhir Sangwan the flat in Gurugram and the keys of Sonali’s car parked there.
Goa Police officers checking at Sonali Phogat’s Dhundoor farm house in Hisar.
two hours recording
The team of Goa Police reached Hisar Sadar police station from New Delhi at 11.45 am on Wednesday. Goa Police Inspector Terren DiCosta and ASI Francis Xavier called Sonali’s brother Rinku Dhaka, Watan Dhaka, brother-in-law Aman Poonia and nephew Moninder Phogat to the police station and recorded their statements. The proceedings, which lasted for nearly two hours, recorded the statements of the trio as well as screen shots of their chats with Sonali.
At around 1.15 pm, the Goa Police team along with the local police reached Sonali’s Dhandur Farm House and searched there for 5 hours. After reaching the farm house, Goa Police recorded the statements of Sonali’s two sisters Ramon and Rukhesh and mother Santosh who were present there. Call recordings of the last conversation with Sonali were also taken from the trio. The police team also took screen shots of Ramon and Rukhesh’s chat with Sonali on WhatsApp.
The Goa Police also took recordings of Sonali’s nephew Sachin, the last conversation he had with Sudhir Sangwan. After this, the members of the Goa Police team asked many questions to Sonali’s daughter Yashodhara.
Room opened in presence of daughter
The Goa Police officer, accompanied by SHO Mandeep Singh Chahal of Hisar Sadar police station and Sonali’s daughter Yashodhara, reached the double story building at the end of the farm house. Sonali Phogat’s room is on the first floor of this building. Sonali used to sleep in this room. The Goa Police team got the room unlocked in the presence of Sonali’s daughter Yashodhara and sister Rukhesh.
The Goa Police team checked the room in the presence of family members but nothing was sealed from there. The investigation team searched the farm house for about 5 hours and after that returned to Hisar Sadar police station.
Goa Police is also probing the angle related to Sonali’s property.
The family expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation
Earlier, Sonali’s brother Rinku Dhaka and brother-in-law Aman Poonia expressed their dissatisfaction with the action of Goa Police. Aman Poonia said that the police is making false promises and connecting the death to drugs. The conspiracy angle of the politicians behind this is not being investigated. Many politicians are behind Sonali’s murder. Sonali came into the limelight after contesting from Adampur assembly seat in 2019 and died before the by-election to be held on Adampur seat.
Representatives of Dhaka Khap protest in Hisar, expressing dissatisfaction with the investigation of Goa Police in Sonali Phogat murder case.
Dhaka Khap Demonstration
Members of the Dhaka Khap demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the investigation by the Goa Police. Sonali Phogat’s father’s caste is Dhaka. Khap chief Dinesh Dhaka said that the Goa Police has come to Hisar since morning and is making false promises. Sonali was Dhaka Khap’s daughter and she is not satisfied with the investigation. He said that he, along with Sonali’s family, will meet the Haryana Chief Minister and demand that the case be handed over to the CBI. If the CM does not accept their demand, then the Dhaka Khap will launch an agitation.
Goa Police officers recording statements of Sonali Phogat’s family members.
Goa Police Inspector Terren DiCosta said the investigation was not over yet. The scope of investment is huge. Family statements were taken. The team will investigate in Gurugram by taking the family members along. He said the team is updating the senior officers of the Goa Police Headquarters about its investigation. Any further orders will be followed.
Meanwhile, SHO of Hisar Sadar police station Mandeep Singh Chahal said that the devices obtained from Sonali’s farm house and other electronic gadgets have been sent to cyber cell for investigation.
Dhankhar came to console the family
Meanwhile, the process of reaching the leaders continued on Wednesday to console Sonali Phogat’s family. Haryana BJP state president Om Prakash Dhankhar, former finance minister Captain Abhimanyu, former minister Manish Grover, Hisar BJP unit district president Captain Bhupendra, Sirsa BJP unit district president Aditya Chautala arrived on Wednesday to console the family.
These leaders also met Sonali’s daughter Yashodhara and assured her of all possible help. During this, the family demanded a CBI inquiry into Sonali’s death. On this, Haryana BJP President Dhankhar said that the government has already requested the Goa government on this issue. Still, he will talk to Chief Minister Manohar Lal again about this.
Haryana BJP president Om Prakash Dhankhar and former state finance minister Capt Abhimanyu arrived in Hisar to console Sonali’s family.
One arrested for stealing DVR, laptop and papers
Meanwhile, Hisar police took into custody Shivam, an accountant who had disappeared CCTV’s DVR, laptop and other documents from Sonali’s farm house. Shivam is being interrogated. SHO Mandeep of Hisar Sadar police station said that the police have recovered a DVR and 3 CCTV supply boxes from the farm house. A case was registered against Shivam, who worked as an accountant in the farm house. A team of police caught Shivam from Ghaziabad.
Sonali’s brother Vatan Dhaka, in the complaint against Shivam, had said that after Sonali’s death on the morning of August 23, 2022, the laptop, some important papers and DVR went missing from the farmhouse. They suspect that accountant Shivam has done this work at the behest of Sudhir. The family wants to know what was there in the laptop, papers and DVR that they were removed.
The family has also demanded from Sudhir to get the keys of Sonali’s property and other things recovered.
Goa Police officers reached Hisar Sadar police station from Delhi on Wednesday morning.
Why is it necessary to search for a flat in Gurugram?
Before leaving for Goa, Sonali Phogat and Sudhir Sangwan went from Hisar to Palwal and went to the flat in Gurugram. Sonali’s gunman was also with both of them at that time. Sudhir and Sonali went to the market to get the essential items of the flat. After returning from the market Sudhir Sangwan frees Sonali’s gunman saying that he can go back, as madam has to go to Goa for shooting from 22nd to 25th August. Sudhir asked the gunman to come back on 26 August. After that Sudhir and Sonali went to Goa where Sonali died on the morning of 23 August. In such a situation, the police wants to search the Gurugram flat, because an important clue can be found from there.
So far 5 arrested in murder case
The police of Anjuna police station of Goa is investigating the massacre that took place in Goa’s Curlies restaurant on August 23. A case of murder has been registered against Sudhir-Sukhwinder, against both of them and the other 3 under NDPS Act. The five have been arrested by the police. The names of the five are – Sonali Phogat’s PA Sudhir Sangwan, her partner Sukhwinder, room boy Datta Prasad Gaonkar, Curleys Club owner Edwin and Rama Mandrekar. Sudhir and Sukhwinder hatch a conspiracy and kill Sonali. Datta Prasad provided drugs to Sudhir for 12 thousand rupees. For this work, Sudhir had paid Rs 5000 and Rs 7000 to Dutta twice. Edwin did not oppose the use of drugs in his restaurant. Rama Mandrekar is a drug smuggler, from whom Datta Prasad took drugs and gave them to Sudhir.
Leftover drugs hidden in ladies toilet
According to Goa DGP Jaspal Singh, Sudhir and Sukhwinder have confessed that they drugged Sonali forcibly on the night of 22 August. He was given methamphetamine chemical by mixing it in water. The trio had snorted MDMA in their hotel room and Sudhir took the remaining substance in the water bottle to Curley’s Club. Sudhir took the remaining medicine in a bottle of water and took it to the club. He drank the same substance on the dance floor. The CCTV also shows Sonali giving the same drug to Sudhir.
Sonali’s health deteriorated at around 2.30 pm due to drug overdose, both of them took her to the washroom. There Sonali vomited. After sometime she came back and started dancing. Went to the toilet again around 4.30 pm, but she herself could not walk, nor could she stand. When Sudhir-Sukhwinder took her away, she slept in the toilet itself. They both sat there. In the morning, both took Sonali to the parking area first. From there brought Grand Leoni to the resort, from where he was taken to the hospital. At the same time, the bottle of drugs was hidden in the ladies toilet.