PANAJI
The Principal District and Sessions Court has rejected a bail plea filed by Sukhwinder Singh, one of the two accused booked for allegedly murdering BJP Haryana leader and reel-star Sonali Phogat during their vacation in Goa in August 2022.
Singh and Phogat’s Personal Assistant Sudhir Sangwant are facing charges 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.
The accused applied for conditional bail after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a voluminous charge sheet before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Mapusa in November 2022. After several hearings, the Court on Thursday disallowed his petition and rejected it on various grounds.
Singh has also filed a separate bail application before the NDPS Court, Mapusa for another offense wherein he is charged with carrying drugs in Curlies beach shack restaurant-pub, whereas Phogat was offered spiked drink which ultimately led to her death due to overdose.
Phogat was brought dead to a private hospital in Anjuna, hours after she was allegedly drugged thrice in the resort as well as Curlies beach shack restaurant on August 22-23. The Anjuna police’s initial theory of a fatal heart attack was dismissed by an autopsy report that confirmed injuries.
A further investigation revealed that she was forcibly intoxicated. The politician’s family back in Hisar demanded the arrest of the two accused and a CBI probe. Three other accused including Edwin Nunes, who is believed to be the owner of Curlies, were arrested for the drug trade and bailed out thereafter. Singh and Sangwan were later arrested, and the case was transferred to the CBI with the government bowing to family pressure.
The 60-odd pages of forensic report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory at Chandigarh ascertained Phogat was drugged. “Intake of Methamphetamine, Amphetamine-N-methoxycarbonyl, Cannabidiol, and Ethyl alcohol collectively was found in her organs,” it said.
The CBI has already submitted to the JMFC that its investigation is “kept open” to collect further evidence and look into the angle of conspiracy if any behind the death of the politician.
