Sonali
Phogat, the social media star, actress and politician, died in Goa on August
22. Three weeks after her death, the Goa government has decided to hand over
the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Goa Chief Minister
Pramod Sawant said Monday that he will write to the Union Home Ministry
requesting the case of the BJP leader’s death be transferred to the CBI.

Speaking to
the media, Pramod Sawant said the Goa police have done a “tremendously good
investigation” into the case and have also found some clues. “But due to the
demand of the people from Haryana and also Sonali Phogat’s daughter, we have
decided to write to the Union Home Ministry to hand over the case to the CBI.”

Phogat’s
family has been clamouring for a CBI investigation since Sonali Phogat’s death.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also called Pramod Sawant once and
sought for the case to be transferred to the CBI. The Haryana government had
also written to the Goa government formally asking for the case to be
transferred.

Why is
there a clamour for a CBI investigation?

The Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is India’s premier sleuthing agency. It usually
takes up cases regarded to be serious and sensitive in nature. Moreover, CBI
investigations are also sought for when state politics comes into play. The CBI
is expected to work beyond partisan considerations, however, whether the body
lives up to this promise or not is a controversial question.

Politician
with a social media fanbase

Sonali
Phogat, actress and social media influencer, stood for elections for the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the 2019 Haryana assembly polls. She lost
to Congress’ Kuldeep Bishnoi, who is now with the BJP. This was one of the
most-watched contests in the Haryana polls for who she was up against. Kuldeep
Bishnoi is a three-time MLA and the son of former CM Bhajan Lal.

Circumstances
of her death

Sonali
Phogat died after feeling ill briefly on August 22. What initially seemed like
a natural death turned mysterious when her family, especially her brother, Rinku
Phogat claimed that Phogat had been murdered. Her family also pointed their
finger at Phogat’s associates Sudhir Sangwan and Sukhwinder Wasi. Both these
people have been arrested along with three others.