SHIMLA, May 27 — In a sweeping administrative shake-up triggered by alleged procedural lapses in the investigation into the death of HP Power Corporation chief engineer Vimal Negi, the Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday directed three top officers — DGP Atul Verma, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Onkar Sharma, and Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi — to go on leave. Show-cause notices are expected to follow in the coming days.
While DGP Verma is scheduled to retire on May 31, the government named Ashok Tiwari, a 1993-batch IPS officer and current chief of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, as acting DGP. SP Gandhi’s responsibilities have been handed over to Solan SP Gaurav Singh, a 2013-batch officer.
The move comes amid mounting scrutiny over affidavits submitted to the High Court in the Negi case, allegedly without the approval of the Advocate General. Both Verma and Sharma are reported to have filed such documents, raising serious concerns over protocol violations.
“These developments have cast a shadow on the credibility of the ongoing investigation,” a senior government official said, requesting anonymity.
Negi had gone missing on March 10, and his body was recovered from Gobind Sagar Lake in Bilaspur on March 18. His family has publicly questioned the integrity of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by SP Gandhi and called for a CBI probe.
Sharma, who led the initial fact-finding inquiry, has not been issued a show-cause notice yet but has been stripped of all his portfolios, including Home and Revenue. Kamlesh Pant has been handed additional charges of Home, Vigilance, Revenue, and Chairman of the State Pollution Control Board. Other departmental shifts include the Jal Shakti department going to Kadam Sandeep Vasant and the Tribal Development portfolio to Rakhil Kahlon.
A key point of concern relates to DGP Verma’s affidavit, in which he disclosed the existence of a formatted and unaccounted-for pen drive that was not included in the case file.
“The disappearance and formatting of such a critical piece of evidence cannot be brushed aside,” a senior legal official stated.
As the administrative fallout unfolds, the state government is under pressure to restore public trust in the investigation and ensure accountability at the highest levels.
Read more: Himachal HC Transfers Vimal Negi Death Probe to CBI
