Sonali Phogat's family alleges she was raped by her assistant

PANAJI: Sonali Phogat's brother Rinku Dhaka has filed a complaint with Goa Police, alleging that his sister was raped and murdered by her personal assistant Sudhir Sangwan and his friend Sukhwinder.

In the complaint, Rinku stated that Sonali, who was a BJP leader, had spoken to her mother, sister and brother-in-law a few hours before her demise on August 23.

He claimed that during the conversation Sonali had complained against her staff.

Rinku alleged that Sonali's PA raped her after adding drugs to her meals.

"She (Sonali) said Sangwan had given her food laced with some intoxicant, raped her and made a video and was threatening to make the video viral on social media," the Police complaint read.

The complainant also claimed that Sangwan also threatened Sonali of destroying her political and acting career and seized her phones, property records, ATM cards, and house keys.

Speaking to ANI, Sonali's nephew Moninder Phogat said,"Hume shak nhi hume yakin hai ki aisa hua hai unke sath. (We are sure that our sister was raped and murdered)."

Sonali, the BJP leader from Hisar in Haryana, was brought dead to the St Anthony Hospital at Anjuna in North Goa on Tuesday morning. While preliminary reports suggested that she died of a cardiac arrest, her family members suspect foul play.

Sonali's family members are not satisfied with the postmortem being conducted in Goa. Sonali's brother Rinku Dhaka said that he will get the post-mortem done again in AIIMS, New Delhi.

"We are not satisfied here. We will get the post-mortem done again in AIIMS Delhi. We are not being heard here. My sister was committed to the BJP but not a single BJP leader came here to help us. We want justice," Rinku said.

Claiming that his sister was poisoned, he said, "I have seen my sister's body and her face, ears are blue and this happens when the poison is inside the body, not in a heart attack. My sister was healthy." Meanwhile, a 15-year-old daughter Yashodhara of the BJP leader sought justice for her mother. "My mother deserves justice.

The case requires proper investigation and the culprits should get strict punishment," she said.

Sonali, who hailed from Haryana, contested the last Assembly election from Haryana from the Adampur constituency on a BJP ticket against Kuldeep Bishnoi. She also appeared in the reality show 'Bigg Boss' in 2020.