Two more arrested in Sonali Phogat murder case

Panaji (Goa) [India], August 27 (ANI): Goa Police on Saturday arrested two more persons in connection with the murder case of BJP leader Sonali Phogat, said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jivba Dalvi.
The two arrested persons have been identified as Edwin Nunes, owner of Curlies Beach Shack in Anjuna, and also a suspected drug peddler Dattprashad Gaonkar, taking the total arrests in the case to four.
"Based on the disclosure of accused Sudhir Sangwan, the drugs given to the deceased were seized from the washroom of the Curlies restaurant. The drugs have been identified as Metamemphatamine," said Dalvi.
The Police said that the investigation revealed that the drugs were supplied by a person named Dattaprasad Gaonkar who was working as a room boy in Hotel Grand Leoney Resort in Anjuna where the accused persons and the deceased lady were staying.
"The police have registered offences under sections 22(b), 29 and 25 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against the caretaker or owner of Curlies restaurant Edwin Nunes and Dattaprasad Gaonkar and both have been arrested," added Dalvi.
Further investigation is in progress.
Jaspal Singh, Director General of Police had said that one team of police will be sent to Haryana for further investigation.
"We will send one team to Haryana to verify some allegations and suspicions levelled by the family because those doubts would also have bearing on the investigation. As per the briefing by the Investigating Officer, Goa Police's investigation is going in the correct direction," he said.
Earlier, a court in Goa remanded the two accused arrested Sukhwinder Singh and Sudhir Sangwan in the murder case in police custody for ten days.
On Friday Phogat's PA Sudhir Sangwan and his associate, Sukhwinder Singh were arrested in connection with the alleged murder.
Police said that the duo who travelled to Goa with Phogat on August 22 had during interrogation confessed that they had forcibly made her drink a liquid mixed with some "obnoxious" chemical. Both the accused were produced before the court today.
Meanwhile, the suspected peddler Gaonkar held today had allegedly supplied drugs to Sukhwinder Singh. "Based on the investigation, the police detained the drug peddler who had supplied drugs," Anjuna Police said.
"Statements of more than 20-25 people have been recorded so far in the case. These include the staff of Curlies Restaurant and others. The owner of the restaurant is being questioned by the police," police officials said.
Sonali Phogat, 42, was declared dead at the St Anthony Hospital at Anjuna in North Goa on August 23. A post-mortem report revealed blunt force injury on her body, following which the Goa Police registered a murder case.
Phogat's PA and his associate were arrested after police accessed the CCTV footage in which the trio were seen partying at a club.
"On the basis of CCTV footage, it was seen that the accused Sudhir Sangwan and his associate Sukhwinder Singh were partying with the deceased at a club. A video establishes that one of them forcefully made the victim consume a substance," Inspector General of Police Omvir Singh Bishnoi said.
Phogat was cremated at her hometown in Hisar yesterday.
Rinku Dhaka had earlier filed a complaint alleging that Phogat was murdered by Sudhir Sangwan, her personal trainer along with Sukhwinder Singh who intended "to take over her properties and financial assets to finish her political career."
"When confronted, Sukhwinder and Sudhir confessed that they intentionally mixed an obnoxious chemical into a liquid and made the victim drink it," IGP Omvir Singh Bishnoi said.
The two accused confessed that after they intentionally mixed an obnoxious chemical into a liquid and made the victim drink it, which made her feel uneasy, after which they took her to the hotel and then to St. Anthony's Hospital, where she was declared brought dead," the Goa police said.
The actor, 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. (ANI)