Sonali Phogat death case: Curlies owner, 2 drug peddlers sent to 5-day police custody

In the latest development in the murder case of BJP leader and actor Sonali Phogat, a Goa court on August 28 remanded three accused to police custody for five days. 

The police produced accused Edwin Nunes, owner of the Curlies restaurant, and two drug peddlers - Dattaprasad Gaonkar and Ramakant Mandrekar before the court today. 

The police arrested the drug peddler Ramakant Mandrekar on August 27 for allegedly supplying narcotics to another dealer, who is accused of supplying drugs to the BJP leader’s associates. With his arrest, five people, including main accused Sudhir Sangwan and Sukhwinder Singh, have so far been arrested in the case.

Earlier in the day, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that his Haryana counterpart, Manohar Lal Khattar, spoke to him and requested a CBI probe into the Phogat death case.

On August 27, Sonali Phogat’s family met CM Manohar Lal Khattar and demanded a CBI probe into the actor’s murder.

Goa police, on August 27, arrested the owner of Curlies Beach Shack - Edwin Nunes and a drug peddler Dattprashad Gaonkar, who had allegedly supplied drugs to Phogat’s associates. On the same day, a Goa court sent Sudhir Sangwan and Sukhwinder Singh to 10-day police custody. Both are the main accused in the murder case. 

As per the police, Sudhir Sangwan and Sukhwinder Singh confessed that they allegedly mixed an “obnoxious substance” in a beverage and forced Sonali Phogat to drink it while partying at Curlies restaurant.

Director General of Police Jaspal Singh informed that a police team will be sent to the actor’s hometown for further investigation. 

On August 25, the BJP leader’s body was bought to her hometown to allow people to pay their last respect. On August 26, her last rites were held in Hisar. Sonali Phogat, who started her career as a news anchor, later found fame on TikTok. She also contested in the 2019 Haryana election as a BJP candidate but lost to Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, who later joined BJP. The actor also appeared in the reality show Bigg Boss in 2020.