Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, May 23
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday transferred the Chief Engineer Vimal Negi death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The move comes after the court expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made by the Police so far and lack of clarity in the probe.
The order was pronounced by Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, who observed that despite the lapse of two months, the Shimla police had failed to make any significant progress in the case. The court has also directed that no officer from the Himachal Pradesh cadre be included in the CBI team probing the matter. The decision came following a plea by Negi’s wife, Kiran Negi, who had raised concerns over the fairness of the police investigation and requested the court for a central agency probe. The court noted the submissions in the status reports filed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and the Director General of Police and found merit in the demand for a CBI inquiry.
The reports had flagged serious allegations against then Managing Director of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation, Harikesh Meena, and suspended Director Desh Raj. The court also questioned the intentions of the Shimla police, stating that the investigation had been diverted from its core focus.
Advocate R.K. Bawa, representing Kiran Negi, welcomed the court’s decision, saying, “This is a step towards truth and justice. We have full faith that the CBI will now conduct an impartial investigation.”
Reacting to the judgment, Vimal Negi’s family members said the order has restored their faith in the judiciary. “The state government tried to suppress the matter and the local police misled the investigation. With CBI now in charge, we hope the truth will prevail,” said Rajendra Negi, Vimal’s brother.
