In a significant development, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday ordered the transfer of the investigation into the mysterious death of Vimal Negi, Chief Engineer of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Justice Ajay Goyal, presiding over a single-judge bench, passed the order while allowing a petition filed by Negi’s wife, Kiran Negi, who had raised serious allegations about harassment and torture by senior officials within the corporation. The court also directed that no officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre be associated with the CBI probe, according to petitioner’s counsel R.K. Bawa. A detailed copy of the judgment is awaited.
Negi went missing on March 10, and his body was recovered eight days later from the Gobind Sagar Lake in Bilaspur district. His wife had alleged that he had been under immense pressure and was routinely mistreated by his superiors, forced to work long hours despite being unwell.
The court’s decision comes after the state government’s Advocate General, Anup Rattan, defended the fairness of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that had initially handled the probe. “While we are not averse to any investigation by any party, the SIT probe was fair and transparent. At this stage, we are not filing an appeal against the High Court’s order,” Rattan said.
However, the SIT itself came under scrutiny during the Wednesday hearing, when Director General of Police Atul Verma questioned its impartiality—further strengthening the petitioner’s case for an independent probe.
The move has been widely welcomed. Former Chief Minister and current Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, said the transfer to CBI would pave the way for an impartial and transparent investigation. “Now the truth will come out,” he added.
Following the discovery of Negi’s body, his family members had staged a protest outside the HPPCL headquarters in Shimla, demanding a CBI probe. The pressure from the public and opposition eventually led to the registration of an FIR under abetment to suicide and joint criminal liability provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the HPPCL’s director (electrical) and managing director.
The court’s intervention marks a crucial step in addressing the concerns of Negi’s family and ensuring accountability within public institutions.
