Himachal High Court Transfers Vimal Negi Case to CBI Amid Police Criticism

Court Orders CBI Investigation into Vimal Negi's Death

SHIMLA: In a pivotal turn of events regarding the enigmatic death of Vimal Negi, Chief Engineer of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), the Himachal Pradesh High Court has assigned the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This decision comes after the Shimla police showed insufficient progress and serious concerns were raised in reports from the state's Director General of Police (DGP) Atul Verma and Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Onkar Chand Thakur.

On the morning of May 23, 2025, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel expressed dissatisfaction with the Shimla police's inability to draw any conclusions more than two months after Negi's disappearance. The court emphasized that no personnel from the Himachal cadre would be part of the CBI investigation team.

Discovery of Vimal Negi's Body

Vimal Negi was reported missing on March 10, 2025, and his body was discovered in Gobind Sagar Lake in Bilaspur eight days later. Initially, authorities suggested drowning as the cause of death. However, suspicions grew when it was disclosed that Negi had received a call from HPPCL Director (Electrical) Deshraj shortly before he went missing.

Deshraj, who has been suspended, underwent an extensive six-hour interrogation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 6. Additionally, former HPPCL Managing Director and IAS officer Harikesh Meena was questioned amid allegations of workplace harassment.

Negi's wife, Kiran Negi, strongly dismissed the suicide narrative, claiming her husband faced mental harassment from senior officials and was murdered. She has raised concerns about potential tampering with the post-mortem report and has called for a CBI investigation, echoing similar worries highlighted in the DGP and ACS's reports.

High Court Critiques Police Coordination

During previous hearings, the High Court criticized the lack of collaboration between the DGP and Shimla police, noting that their internal disputes were hindering justice. The judge remarked, “Justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done,” before reserving the verdict. On Friday, the court officially confirmed the transfer of the investigation to the CBI, aiming to restore public trust in the pursuit of justice.