Sonali Phogat given 'crystal meth' in Goa; one more arrested
Sonali Phogat, the actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, was reportedly given the drug methamphetamine, or crystal meth, in Goa hours before her death. The Goa Police seized the leftovers of the drug from the restaurant Curlie's and arrested another drug peddler from Anjuna on Sunday. Meanwhile, Goa CM Pramod Sawant hinted at a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
Why does this story matter?
The death of Phogat—a former Bigg Boss contestant and content creator—shocked many people in the entertainment and political circles. She was visiting Goa with her staff, and it was initially reported that she suffered a heart attack based on a preliminary report by a team of doctors. However, the police on Thursday registered a murder case following the postmortem and allegations by her family.
Police identify drug, seize remains from restaurant
Phogat was reportedly administered the methamphetamine drug, police revealed on Saturday. "Based on the disclosure of the accused Sudhir Sangwan, the drugs given to Phogat were seized from the washroom of Curlie's restaurant. The drugs have been identified as Metamemphatamine," the Goa Police said. Officials also informed that the drugs were provided by a hotel staffer at the Grand Leoney Resort- Dattprasad Gaonkar.
Watch: CCTV footage of Phogat being 'forced' to drink
Five arrested for alleged murder
On Sunday morning, the police arrested another accused in the case- Rama Mandrekar, a drug peddler in Goa. A total of five people have now been arrested for the alleged murder of the 42-year-old actor-turner-politician. On Saturday, the police nabbed the owner of Curlie's (Edwin Nunes) and Gaonkar.
Open to CBI probe, says Goa CM
Family meets Haryana CM, demands CBI probe
Meanwhile, Phogat's family in Haryana met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar who assured them of a CBI probe into the matter. Phogat's sister, Rupesh, said, "We'll get justice, everything will come to the fore...She told me something wrong is being done to her after that her phone got off," according to ANI. The Haryana government will contact Goa CM regarding the CBI probe.
Phogat was drugged by two accomplices: Police
The police on Friday said that Phogat might have died under the influence of drugs, as two accomplices arrested for her alleged murder admitted to mixing obnoxious substances in her drink. Her personal assistant Sangwan and his friend Singh were arrested on Thursday on murder charges following a complaint by Phogat's family. Phogat was brought dead to a hospital on Monday.
