Shimla, May 26,
Kiran Negi, widow of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) Chief Engineer Vimal Negi, has filed two applications, including a caveat, in the Himachal Pradesh High Court. Through her counsel, she has requested the court to ensure she is heard before any relief is granted to the state government in its Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) challenging the transfer of her husband’s death investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
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In addition to the caveat, Negi has sought a time-bound direction from the High Court for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to hand over all relevant case records and property to the CBI. The matter pertains to the suspicious death of Vimal Negi, which has been under investigation by the SIT.
On May 23, a single-judge bench of Justice Ajay Mohan Goel had ordered the transfer of the probe to the CBI, observing serious lapses in the SIT investigation. The court had also noted internal conflict between senior police officials, specifically between the Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Director General of Police (DGP), raising concerns that such administrative infighting should not obstruct justice for the victim’s family.
As of now, the CBI has not formally taken over the investigation and is expected to register a fresh FIR upon receipt of the requisite documents from the SIT.
Meanwhile, controversy continues over the handling of key evidence. A crucial case property item—a pen drive—remains in the custody of the SIT. ASI Pankaj, who was previously booked for allegedly concealing the pen drive, is now facing charges under Section 241 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for destruction and tampering of evidence.
In a related development, the state government clarified that it has not yet received any formal communication from the DGP seeking the suspension of the Shimla SP, despite ongoing allegations of misconduct and insubordination in connection with the case.
The High Court is expected to hear the matter in the coming days.
