PANAJI
BJP leader from Haryana and actress Sonali Phogat died of a suspected heart attack en route to a private hospital in Anjuna on Tuesday. The 43-year-old was last seen dining at Curlies beach shack restaurant on Monday night hours after which she complained of uneasiness. She was rushed to a private hospital by her friends where she was declared dead on arrival.
Confirming her death, Director General of Police Jaspal Singh told The Goan that an inquiry has commenced pending a post mortem report. He has also ruled out any foul play even as the family has alleged that Phogat’s food was spiked. “As of now, there is no foul play as there are no injury marks. We are nonetheless inquiring into the death,” Singh said.
Her body was shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital for an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death.
The news broke out on Tuesday morning sending shockwaves across political circles and the entertainment industry as well. The actress-politician was staying at a resort in Anjuna and was expected to leave for her home state on Wednesday.
Singh stated that she had arrived in Goa with her friends in her individual capacity.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Anjuna) Jivba Dalvi also stated that an inquiry is underway. “A panel of doctors is formed to conduct the post-mortem,” he told the waiting outside the GMCH.
Phogat, born and brought up in a middle-class family in Bhuthan Kalan village in Haryana’s Fatehabad district had contested the 2019 assembly elections from the Adampur constituency on a BJP ticket against Kuldeep Bishnoi, who recently switched over to the BJP from Congress.
After resigning as the Adampur legislator, Bishnoi broke the ice with Phogat, and incidentally, they held a meeting before her departure to Goa. Hours before her death, Phogat posted a video from her official Instagram account wearing a pink safa (head wrap) and had also changed her Twitter profile picture in the same attire.
Having started her professional career in 2006 as an anchor in Doordarshan, she then joined the BJP two years later where she held prime positions. She simultaneously took up acting in TV shows and also appeared in some movies and web series. Phogat had appeared on the Big Boss reality show as a ‘wild card’ contestant and was voted out shortly later.
