The Haryana Police on Wednesday arrested TikTok star and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sonali Phogat, for slapping and beating up agricultural market committee secretary Sultan Singh in Hisar earlier this month, The Indian Express reported. Following a video of the incident that went viral on social media, the police had booked Phogat on charges including rioting and obstructing a public servant from performing his duty.
The incident took place in Balsamand village in Hisar district when Phogat had gone to the local grain market. Phogat had accused Singh of making “indecent remarks” against her. However, Singh denied this and alleged that she beat up him because she was under the mistaken impression that he had opposed her in the 2019 Assembly elections. Phogat lost the elections from Adampur constituency to Congress candidate Kuldeep Bishnoi.
Both Singh and Phogat had filed first information reports against each other.
“At Balsamand, I noted whatever problems she mentioned,” Singh had said in his complaint. “She blamed me for opposing her during the Adampur election. As soon as I turned towards her, she slapped me while blaming me for abuse. I was surprised. The goons were with her. They too thrashed me. I ran to a shop to save my life.” He also alleged that two of Phogat’s supporters shot a video of the incident.
Bishnoi had called the incident an “illegal act”. “The miscreants should be arrested immediately,” he had said.
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