Sonali Phogat death case should be probed by CBI: Congress

Panaji: The Goa Congress on Saturday demanded that the BJP leader Sonali Phogat death case be handed over to the CBI.

Currently, the Goa Police are investigating the case.

Calangute MLA Michael Lobo's reaction came after Goa police on Friday arrested Sudhir Sangwan (Phogat's PA) along with Sukwinder Singh in connection with the murder of Phogat, also a TikTok star.

"I agree with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who said that he is ready for a CBI inquiry in the matter. The crime may have happened in Anjuna (Goa), but the real story lies in Haryana," he said.

Lobo said that though Goa police has made two arrests, but if anyone else is involved in the crime, he should be brought to book.

"There is a need for a CBI probe. I don't think that Goa police will come to a final conclusion. The investigation cannot be conducted by police in Anjuna, who do not seem to know anything, Lobo said.

"Also, there should be more investigation into whether the two men who were accompanying (her) are the two who have been accused or someone else committed the crime. All the angles need to be investigated. The reason for the crime lies in Haryana. It seems more people were involved. Let the investigation begin from Haryana," Lobo asserted.

Such incidents, he said, bring a bad name to the state of Goa. "Police investigate the crimes and then it gets forgotten and then the investigation stops. But such cases need to be thoroughly investigated by the CBI. There is a need to investigate the case by the CBI from Haryana.

"We are talking about taking Goa to the next level of tourism which will not be possible if the safety of the tourists is not ensured, he said.

Phogat had come to Goa on August 22 and was staying at a hotel in Anjuna.

She felt uneasy on Monday night and later in the morning (on Tuesday), she was taken to St. Anthony hospital in Anjuna at around 8 a.m., where she was declared brought dead.