Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, May 26
Himachal Chief Minister , Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Monday welcomed the state High Court’s decision to transfer the high-profile Vimal Negi death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), but voiced strong reservations over the court’s direction that no Himachal police officer should be part of the investigating team.
Addressing a press conference in Shimla following his return from Delhi, Sukhu admitted to internal differences within the police department regarding the case. “We will not tolerate any form of indiscipline,” he said, adding that suitable action would be taken if necessary.
Sukhu also said the government would not appeal the High Court’s ruling. “If Vimal Negi’s wife had come to me and requested a CBI probe, I would have handed over the case much earlier,” the Chief Minister added.
However, he took issue with the court’s remarks regarding the exclusion of Himachal police officers from the CBI team. “How many judges in the Himachal High Court are from the state? We should refrain from making such sweeping comments,” he said.
The Chief Minister confirmed that reports submitted by the Director General of Police, the Shimla police SIT, and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) were inconsistent. He accused the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising the tragedy, stating that the party’s interest lies not in justice for the family but in extracting political mileage.
“The BJP has no real sympathy for the family. If they possess any documents indicating corruption, they should hand them over to the CBI,” he said, also urging Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur to speak responsibly and in line with facts.
Despite his criticisms, Sukhu reiterated that the state government would extend full cooperation to the CBI in its investigation.
