Sonali Phogat's family gives consent for autopsy, demands procedure to be video-graphed

Panaji: Haryana BJP leader and social media influencer Sonali Phogat's family has agreed to give their consent for the postmortem, but with a condition that the procedure be videographed. The development comes two days after the death of the BJP leader in Goa.

The autopsy was earlier scheduled at the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) near Panaji on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Sonali was declared brought dead after she was taken to a hospital in Goa late on Monday night. Preliminary reports suggested that Sonali died of a heart attack, but her family members raised suspicion of foul play and demanded a CBI probe.

Sonali Phogat's brother Rinku Dhaka on Wednesday claimed she was murdered by two of her associates. He said the family will allow the postmortem only after the Goa Police register an FIR or police case against the two persons.

This morning, Sonali Phogat's nephew Mohinder Phogat told Press Trust of India that the family has given consent for the autopsy with a condition that the entire procedure be video-graphed.

"The police have told us that the FIR in connection with our complaint would be filed after conducting the postmortem," he said.

The body is currently kept in the Goa Medical College and Hospital morgue.

Goa Medical College and Hospital officials said they were waiting for a green signal from the state police to conduct the autopsy.

The hospital has already formed a panel of two forensic experts to conduct the forensic exam.

Sonali Phogat's brother Rinku Dhaka has filed a complaint with the Goa Police claiming she was murdered by two of her associates.

He alleged that a short while before her death, Sonali Phogat had spoken to her mother, sister and brother-in-law. She sounded disturbed and complained against her two colleague, he added.

He also claimed that the CCTV cameras, laptop and other crucial things from her farmhouse in Haryana have gone missing after her death.

Three years ago, one of her aides sexually assaulted her after spiking her food and later blackmailed her, Rinku Dhaka further alleged in the police complaint. No FIR has been registered over his complaint yet.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said the state police were conducting a detailed investigation into Sonali Phogat's death.

Considering the opinion of doctors and Goa Director General of Police (DGP) Jaspal Singh, it looks like she died due to a heart attack, Mr Sawant said.