PANAJI
Almost a year after BJP leader Sonali Phogat died of a drug overdose at Curlies, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to investigate a significant piece of evidence “ the digital safe vault, owned by the deceased.
The CBI, during its investigation last year, had seized around three diaries and one electronic locker from her home in her village in Haryana and sealed them for further probe. In a charge sheet filed in November 2022, the CBI claimed that the case was still open for further investigation.
The Sessions Court, in its order on Friday, granted permission to the CBI to examine the sealed lockers, with a condition that the entire process of opening the vault be recorded on video.
“The investigating agency is permitted to open the digital safe vault of the deceased (Phogat) in the manner as they are specified in this application on condition that they should videograph the entire proceedings of the opening of the said vault and to videograph the said vault sowing it has been in a sealed condition,” read the order by Sessions Judge (North Goa) Sherin Paul.
During the hearing earlier, the accused objected to the plea, apprehending that it was an attempt to “falsely implicate” him in the case. “There is every possibility that the safe could have been manipulated or tampered with by the investigating agency in connivance with the relatives of the deceased,” the accused said pleading to dismiss the CBI’s application.
Phogat’s personal assistant Sudhir Sangwan and his friend Sukhwinder Singh have been charge-sheeted under section 302 (murder), read with 34 (common intention) and 36 (Effect caused partly by act and partly by omission) of the Indian Penal Code. They are also accused of allegedly murdering the politician to take over her movable and immovable properties running in several crores.
Phogat’s Driver Umed Singh is among the witnesses who claimed that Phogat ran out of money to the extent that she didn’t have a minimum balance to pay for her daughter’s school fees, as Sangwan controlled her finances.
The CBI had submitted to the Court that the probe is still not complete adding, “The investigation is kept open to collect further evidence and look into the angle of conspiracy if any behind the death of the politician.”
