CBI takes over Sonali Phogat death case from Goa Police, registers case

New Delhi, Sep 12: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the death of Haryana BJP leader and social media influencer Sonali Phogat case, ANI quoted sources as saying.

Phogat (43), the BJP leader from Hisar in Haryana, died in Goa last month and her death is being treated as a case of murder.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said that the central agency will take over the case. "Following the people's demand, especially that of her son, for CBI probe we're handing it over to CBI today," ANI quoted him in a tweet.

Speaking to reporters, Sawant told that the Goa Police have done a "tremendously good investigation" into the case and have also got some clues.

"But due to the demand of people from Haryana and also Sonali Phogat's daughter, we have decided to write to the Union Home Ministry to hand over this case to the CBI," Sawant said. "I will personally write a letter to the Union Home Ministry," he said.

However, Phogat's family members have been demanding a CBI probe into her death, saying they were dissatisfied with the Goa police probe.

Some family members had earlier also said they would file a petition before a court seeking a CBI probe into the case if the Goa government does not recommend an investigation by the premier investigating agency.

Phogat and her aides had partied at the Curlies restaurant in Goa on the intervening night of August 22 and 23. So far, accused Sudhir Sangwan, another aide Sukhwinder Singh, and three others have been arrested in connection with the murder.

Phogat, a former Tik Tok star and contestant on the reality TV show "Bigg Boss", was brought dead to a hospital in North Goa district on August 23, a day after arriving in the coastal state.