Khap Mahapanchayat Demands CBI Probe Into Sonali Phogat's Death Case

Sonali Phogat's Death Case: Sonali's teenage daughter Yashodhara and other family members also took part in the council.

Actor-turned-politician Sonali Phogat poses for photographs during a press conference (Source: File photo/PTI)

New Delhi: The 'Sarv Jatiya Khap Mahapanchayat' on Sunday gave an ultimatum to the BJP government to recommend a CBI probe into leader Sonali Phogat's death case by September 23. The mahapanchayat was held in Jat Dharamshala of Hisar. Sonali's teenage daughter Yashodhara and other family members also took part in the council. Phogat, 43, whose death is being treated as a case of murder, had died some hours after her arrival in Goa in late August.

The mahapanchayat has decided to call another such council on September 24 if the government fails to order an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the matter.

Khap representatives from all over Haryana and other states would participate and take a "tough decision" on September 24, it held.

A 15-member committee was formed in the mahapanchayat. It also includes five members of Sonali's family.

Making an appeal, Yashodhara said, "Support me to get justice for my mother".

Yashodhara with folded hands demanded a CBI inquiry. People raised their hands and promised to support her.

The Goa police has been conducting investigations into Phogat's death case. They had also conducted investigations in Haryana, including Hisar, Rohtak and Gurugram.

Phogat's family members have been sticking to their demand of a CBI probe into her death, saying they were dissatisfied with the Goa police probe.

Some family members of Phogat had earlier also said they will file a petition before a court seeking a CBI probe in the case in case the Goa government does not recommend an investigation by the premier investigating agency.

Phogat and her aides had partied at the Curlies restaurant in Goa on the intervening night of August 22 and 23.

Phogat, a former Tik Tok star and contestant on the reality TV show "Bigg Boss", was brought dead to a hospital in North Goa district on August 23, a day after arriving in the coastal state.

So far accused Sudhir Sangwan, another aide Sukhwinder Singh, and three others by the Goa police have been arrested in connection with the murder.

Earlier in the day, Sonali's brother Rinku Dhaka said if the government had decided to recommend a CBI inquiry, then there would not have been any need to hold the Khap Mahapanchayat.

Rinku Dhaka again reiterated that his family is not satisfied with the investigation by the Goa Police.

About two weeks ago, the Haryana government had written to the Goa government requesting it to recommend a CBI probe into the death of a BJP leader.

Haryana's move came after Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had assured Phogat's family members in this regard. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)