SHIMLA, Mat 23: The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday transferred the investigation into the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) chief engineer-cum-general manager Vimal Negi from the state police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing concerns over the impartiality and conduct of the probe so far.
The bench of Justice Ajay Mohan Goel directed the CBI to immediately take over the investigation from the state police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), which had been led by Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Gandhi. In a move to ensure transparency, the court ordered that no officer from the Himachal cadre be involved in the CBI investigation.
Negi had gone missing on March 10 and his body was found in the Bhakra Dam in Bilaspur on March 18. His family staged a protest the next day outside the HPPCL office in Shimla, demanding a CBI inquiry. The state government initially resisted, but the petition filed by Negi’s wife, Kiran Negi, prompted judicial intervention.
A case of abetment to suicide was registered on March 22 following Kiran Negi’s complaint, in which she accused senior HPPCL officials, including Director (Electrical) Desh Raj, of harassing her husband.
Petitioner’s counsel RK Bawa said the court’s decision validated the family’s concerns. “Kiran was dissatisfied with the SIT’s probe from the outset,” Bawa said. “The government even withheld a report by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Onkar Chand, which had indicted the officers accused by the family. The SIT only focused on Vimal’s medical history, ignoring critical evidence.”
The credibility of the SIT took a further hit after state Director General of Police Atul Verma submitted a damning status report this week. Verma revealed that a pen drive recovered from Negi’s pocket on March 18 had been hidden and later formatted by an assistant sub-inspector. “This is serious misconduct,” Verma noted in an affidavit, adding that the investigation was “questionable” and appeared to have been influenced by Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi, who has held his post for over two years.
Reacting to the court’s order, state Advocate General Anup Rattan said the government would not contest the ruling. “We are not averse to any agency conducting the investigation. Our priority is justice,” he said.
A detailed copy of the judgment is awaited.
