CBI files chargesheet against two in Sonali Phogat murder case
Darpan News Desk IANS, 22 Nov, 2022 11:42 AM
Panaji, Nov 22 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against Sudhir Sangwan and Sukhwinder Singh in connection with the murder case of Haryana BJP leader Sonali Phogat.
The CBI has filed the chargesheet before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Mapusa.
Sources said that the chargesheet has recommended section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code read with section 34 (common intention) and section 36 (death caused partly by act and partly by omission).
Phogat had come to Goa on August 22 and was staying at a hotel in Anjuna.
She felt uneasy that night and the next morning, she was taken to St. Anthony hospital in Anjuna where she was declared brought dead.
Goa Police on August 26, had arrested Sudhir Sangwan (Phogat's personal assistant) along with Sukwinder Singh in connection with her murder.
Police had said that methamphetamine drugs were allegedly given to Phogat while she was partying in Curlies restaurant in Anjuna.
On September 12, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had handed over the case to the CBI as the people of Haryana and her daughter had placed demands.
Later on, September 16, the central agency arrived in the coastal state to investigate the case.
The accused have been identified as Nitin Pratap alias Atul and Sandeep Kumar -- residents of Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh. Police said the accused used a Suzuki Gixxer motorcycle for the last two months to commit the crime in Gurugram and Rajasthan, and they used to travel from Tapukara in Rajasthan once a week to snatch mobile phones.
The deceased, identified as Megha Kayal, 40, was working as a doctor in London Milton Keynes University Hospital. Prior to this, she was a doctor at Apollo hospital, Sarita Vihar, Delhi.
A gofundme has raised US$70,000 for the victim family. The bodies of the four family members – who have been identified after autopsies as Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben Patel, 37, daughter Vihangi Patel, 11, and son Dharmik Patel, 3 – are currently lying in a morgue in Winnipeg.
Senior advocate and Additional Solicitor General Rupinder Singh Suri passed away, sources said here on Monday. According to reports, he was battling Covid-related complications for over a week. He is survived by his wife Gurvinder and advocate daughters Suruchi and Simar.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana told the Punjab government counsel to advise his government to refrain from launching criminal cases against the political opponents, just before the election. The top court directed Majithia to surrender on February 24 before the trial court and seek regular bail.
The chief minister further said that from Monday onwards, they have started recouping farmers' loss. "By providing them with a financial assistance of Rs 20,000 per acre, Delhi is paying the highest compensation amount across the nation," he tweeted, adding that they have handed over cheques amounting to Rs 2.5 lakh or 3 lakh.