Sonali Phogat's kin agree to autopsy, demand procedure to be video-graphed

PTI

Panaji, August 25

Two days after the death of BJP leader Sonali Phogat in Goa, a family member on Thursday said they had agreed to give their consent for the post-mortem, but on the condition that the procedure be video-graphed.

The autopsy was earlier scheduled at the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) near here on Wednesday.

But Phogat's brother Rinku Dhaka on Wednesday claimed she was murdered by two of her associates. He said the family would allow the post-mortem only after Goa Police registered an FIR against the two persons.

On Thursday morning, Sonali Phogat's nephew Mohinder Phogat told PTI that the family had consented to the post-mortem with the rider that the procedure be video-graphed.

"The police have told us that the FIR in connection with our complaint will be filed after conducting the post-mortem," he said.

Phogat (42), a BJP leader from Hisar in Haryana who had found fame on TikTok, was brought dead at the St Anthony Hospital in Anjuna area of North Goa district on Tuesday morning, a police official said, adding that she died of a suspected heart attack.

The police subsequently registered a case of unnatural death.

The body is currently kept in the GMCH morgue.

GMCH officials said they were waiting for the green signal from the state police to conduct the post-mortem.

The hospital has already formed a panel of two forensic experts to conduct the autopsy.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said the state police were conducting a detailed investigation into Phogat's death.

Considering the opinion of doctors and Goa DGP Jaspal Singh, it looked like she died of a heart attack, Sawant said.

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