CBI reiterates demand to drop State from Vimal Negi death case proceedings; HC reserves order on Meena’s bail
Photo source: Internet
Shimla, Nov 26,
The CBI on Wednesday reiterated before the Himachal Pradesh High Court that the State Government and the State Police should not remain parties in the proceedings linked to the mysterious death of HPPCL Chief Engineer Vimal Negi, citing earlier judicial directions that barred the involvement of State SIT officers in the probe conducted by the central agency.
Appearing before the single bench of Justice Virender Singh, counsel for the CBI Janesh Mahajan submitted the latest status report in the matter during the hearing of the bail application of former HPPCL Managing Director and IAS officer Harikesh Meena (Cr.MP(M) No. 781 of 2025). The CBI insisted that its plea to exclude the State was strictly in compliance with the High Court’s earlier order by Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, which mandated that no Himachal Pradesh cadre IPS officer or State SIT official should form part of the CBI investigation team.
The agency argued it had not levelled allegations against the State Police on its own but was merely following the court’s directive. This position aligns with its earlier submission, where it claimed that retaining the State as a party could “frustrate the very purpose of transferring the probe to the CBI.”
However, the State Government strongly opposed the CBI’s assertions. Represented by Advocate General Anup Rattan, the State maintained that no State officer is involved in the investigation after the case was handed over to the CBI, and neither the State nor the HP Police has filed any status report since then. The State argued that its presence in the record does not interfere with the CBI’s functioning.
The High Court had earlier recorded that the State SIT had nearly completed its investigation before the matter was transferred to the CBI on the insistence of the complainant and the deceased’s wife, and not due to any interference from the State. In previous hearings—on Oct 9, Oct 14, and Nov 26—the Court took on record the replies and rejoinders of both sides and continued the interim protection for Meena.
Justice Virender Singh on Wednesday reserved the order on Meena’s bail application and extended the interim protection granted to him until December 3, when the matter will next be taken up.
Notably, neither the CBI nor the State Police has, at any point, moved for cancellation of bail for the main accused, despite the high-profile nature of the case.
The CBI’s renewed insistence on excluding the State comes even as its stance recently faced judicial pushback. On Nov 20, Justice Virender Singh had dismissed a similar CBI application seeking removal of the State as a party, holding that the State’s presence “would not affect the right of the CBI to conduct the investigation,” as only the CBI was filing status reports.
The matter continues to draw sharp legal and political attention as the probe into Vimal Negi’s death—initially described as suspicious—enters successive layers of judicial oversight.
Another accused and former chief Engineer Desh Raj also got bail from Supreme court recently in the same case as agency couldn’t not justified the countinue integration of Desh Raj in the matter.
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The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
