Photo source: Internet
Shimla, Oct 31,
In a significant setback to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Thursday granted bail to Police ASI Pankaj Sharma, arrested in connection with the ongoing probe into the mysterious death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) Chief Engineer Vimal Negi.
Justice Virender Singh, while allowing the bail plea, observed that “pre-trial punishment is prohibited under the law, as the applicant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty.” The court noted that the CBI had failed to justify the continued judicial custody of the accused and ruled that “no useful purpose would be served by keeping the applicant in judicial custody, that too, for an indefinite period.”
Sharma, who was posted at Police Station Sadar, Shimla at the time of the incident, was arrested by the CBI on September 14, 2025, on charges of tampering with a pen drive allegedly recovered from the possession of the deceased officer. The CBI claimed that the device was formatted in the police station’s computer, purportedly to “screen offenders behind the death of Vimal Negi.”
However, the court found that the agency’s argument for further police custody was weak. “The ground upon which the bail application has been opposed, i.e. seeking police custody of the applicant, in order to confront him with the evidence, so collected, is too short to decline the relief,” the order stated.
The court also took note that the CBI had earlier sought an extension of police remand from the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shimla, which was refused — a decision that the agency did not challenge further. Referring to Supreme Court precedents in Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia vs State of Punjab and Sushila Aggarwal vs State (NCT of Delhi), the judge underscored the principle of balancing the individual’s right to liberty with the needs of investigation, stating that “custodial interrogation is no longer required.”
While granting bail, Justice Singh directed that Sharma furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount. The order is subject to conditions that the accused must not tamper with evidence, influence witnesses, or leave India without court permission. “The applicant shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence nor hamper the investigation of the case, in any manner whatsoever,” the court ordered.
The CBI has been probing the case since May 23, 2025, when the High Court transferred the investigation from the state police amid allegations of procedural lapses. The agency maintains that Sharma formatted a crucial pen drive belonging to the deceased engineer, which may have contained sensitive data linked to the case.
The High Court, however, emphasized that its observations “shall not be taken as an expression of opinion on the merits of the case,” confining them strictly to the bail adjudication.
The case continues to attract public and administrative attention as the CBI investigation delves deeper into the circumstances surrounding the death of the senior HPPCL officer.
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