Shimla: Himachal Pradesh High Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) an inquiry into the mysterious death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) engineer Vimal Negi after a petition filed by his wife on Friday.
The court’s decision came after increasing concerns on the integrity of the state police investigation and the allegations of foul play. Vimal Negi, a senior engineer along with HPPCL, went missing on 10 March, and his body was recovered on 18 March under suspicious circumstances. The post -mortem report indicated that he died about five days before his body recovery.
However, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the State Police, failed to provide any clarity about its whereabouts between 10 and 14 March, raising serious questions about the credibility of the investigation.
Representing the Negi family, Advocate RK Bawa expressed satisfaction with the High Court verdict, saying: “From the first day, the family was saying that we were not satisfied with the investigation. The court has now transferred the case to the CBI. Even the Director General of Police of the State Police has not investigated the court.
The court noticed that the SIT investigation appeared biased and incomplete. The question asked why no investigation was done in the five -day gap in Negi’s disappearance and irregularities were also noted in the treatment of suspects and witnesses. The report submitted by Additional Chief Secretary, Omkar Sharma on 8 April also accepted several concerns raised by the family, but a copy of the report was never provided to him.
Vimal Negi’s mother’s uncle and retired army captain Rajendra Negi also welcomed the court’s move. “We are happy with the High Court’s decision. This will ensure a proper and fair investigation. We never trusted the SIT or the state government. The DGP himself expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation. The one who was being committed suicide is not suicide. It is not a suicide.
Vimal Negi’s brother, Surinder Negi echoed these emotions, expressed deep disappointment over the police investigation and hoped that the CBI would highlight the truth. “We never believed in the government or sitting. From the first day, we demanded a CBI inquiry. We believe it is not a case of suicide, but murder. He tried to suppress a lot of evidences. DGP and SP were publicly opposing each other. Instead of investigating the accused, he also questioned our property.
After the disappearance of Vimal Negi, the then director, managing director, and director of personnel of HPPCL Deshraj were named in the FIR by Shimla Police after protests by family and HPPCL employees. However, due to continuing dissatisfaction with the police investigation, the Himachal Pradesh government formed a committee under Additional Chief Secretary Omkar Sharma to investigate and report the case within 15 days.
Despite this, no adequate progress was made, and even when the accused applied for bail in the Supreme Court, the state government allegedly failed to represent itself. The High Court noted these lapses, highlighting the lack of severity in the investigation.
The case is now handed over to the CBI, supported by demands for the Negi family, comprehensive public sentiment and justice, expected that a transparent and fair investigation would eventually highlight the truth behind the death of Vimli Negi.
