Who was Sonali Phogat? Her career and constant brush with controversies

Sonali Phogat, who was in Goa at the time of her death, was taken to St Anthony Hospital in North Goa's Anjuna

Sonali Phogat, who became prominent after participating in the TV reality show Big Boss 14, died of a heart attack in Goa on Monday. The 41-year-old was a BJP leader from Haryana. Apart from her popularity on TikTok, she was also known for her controversies.

 

Phogat was on a visit to Goa along with some of her staff members. The former actress complained of uneasiness at Curlies' restaurant in Anjuna and was taken to St Anthony Hospital, said Jaspal Singh, Goa Director General of Police.

 

There were no external injuries on the body, and did not suspect any foul play, the police said. However, the post-mortem report, which is yet to come out, will reveal the exact cause of death.

 

Singh's comment comes after Phogat's family, including her siblings, alleged foul play. Goa Police have also registered a case of unnatural death. While members of Phogat's village are now calling for a CBI probe in the matter, it is yet to be seen if the central agency will take over the case.

 

Here's all you need to know about Sonali Phogat:

 

Phogat was born on September 21, 1979, in Bhuthan Kalan, a small village near Hisar in Haryana. Her professional career started in 2006 with a humble beginning at Hisar Doordarshan. In 2008, she joined the BJP's national working committee, where she was appointed as the national vice-president of the Mahila Morcha.

 

A few years later, she quit anchoring to take on more acting roles. She worked alongside actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan and Jimmy Sheirgill in Haryanvi movies. She marked her OTT debut in 2019 with the web series, 'The Story of Badmashgarh’, directed by Ameet Choudhary.

 

In the 2019 assembly election, she contested unsuccessfully from the Adampur Assembly constituency against Congress' Kuldeep Bishnoi. No stranger to controversies, she was once seen hitting an officer with her slippers. On another count, during her election campaign in 2019, she criticised people for not chanting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and said such people should move to Pakistan. Her hate speech drew a lot of flak, and the actress had to issue an apology for the same.

 

She entered the Bigg Boss house as a wildcard contestant in 2020.

 

Sonali Phogat was married to Sanjay Phogat, who in 2016 was found dead under mysterious circumstances near his Hisar farmhouse. The couple also had a teenage daughter.

 

Following Sonali Phogat's untimely demise, condolence messages have been pouring in for the family from BJP leaders and the Opposition parties in Haryana.