Surat: In a fresh twist in the murder case of range forest officer Sonal Solanki, the parents of her husband Nikunj Goswami — the prime accused in the case — have approached the forest department seeking her death benefits.Goswami, an inspector with the Regional Transport Office (RTO), is currently in jail and facing trial for allegedly orchestrating Solanki’s murder.According to forest department officials, Goswami’s parents submitted an application claiming Solanki’s death benefits and also filed a Right to Information (RTI) application seeking details of the benefits to ensure that no other claimant receives the payout. They said the claim was being made for the couple’s five-year-old son.However, Solanki’s family has opposed the move, stating that the child is currently in their custody and expressing concerns about his future.The boy was in the car with Solanki when she was shot at point-blank range by Goswami’s alleged accomplice, Ishwarpuri Goswami, on Nov 6 near Jokha village on the outskirts of the city.“I have applied for Sonal’s death benefits and the request is pending with the forest department. We oppose the payout to any other person since Nikunj’s son is the legal heir, and we are legally eligible to have his custody as grandparents. I have also filed an RTI application,” Goswami’s father Kantigiri told TOI.The Goswami family may soon approach a court seeking custody of the boy, while the Solanki family has said it will oppose any such move.Solanki’s brother Hardik said no one from Goswami’s family had contacted them regarding custody and that they would not give up the child. Following Kantigiri’s application, the Solanki family has also applied for the death benefits to secure the child’s future.“Where were they when Nikunj killed my sister? Now they want her death benefits in the name of the child who is living with us,” Hardik said. “Their son killed my sister and now his parents want custody of the boy. Is there any guarantee that nothing wrong will happen to Sonal’s son?”According to the Solanki family, the child has been living with them since he was six months old. Hardik said Solanki often left her son with her parents when she was away for work.A forest department officer said Goswami’s parents had applied for Solanki’s death benefits, adding that the move had surprised many within the department.Solanki was shot on Nov 6 while she was on her way to drop her son at school. Her car later crashed into a tree and the incident was initially suspected to be a road accident. However, medical examination revealed that she had been shot.
