Shimla, June 2,
Superintendent of Police (SP), Shimla, Sanjeev Gandhi—currently on medical leave—has filed a Leave Petition (LP) in his personal capacity before the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The petition challenges the May 23 order of the single bench, which had handed over the investigation into the mysterious death of constable Vimal Negi to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
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Gandhi’s legal counsel, Advocate Jagdish Thakur, confirmed that the LP was moved before the division bench on Monday. “We have challenged the order of Justice Ajay Mohan Goel in CWP, which directed a CBI probe on the plea of Ms. Kiran Negi, the wife of the deceased,” said Thakur. He added that the matter may come up for hearing within the next couple of days.
This fresh petition comes after a previous Letter Patent Appeal (LPA), filed by Gandhi in his official capacity, was flagged by the High Court Registry for procedural shortcomings. The Registry noted the absence of a mandatory paragraph confirming the Law Department’s opinion, failure to route the appeal through the Advocate General, and the submission of several illegible pages. Consequently, that appeal was withdrawn, paving the way for the current petition filed personally.
In his LP, Gandhi has called for a court-monitored investigation and cast doubts over the neutrality of the CBI. He cited his own involvement in several politically sensitive and high-profile investigations—including the alleged cash-for-vote scam during the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections, the Himachal Rasoi LPG blast, and the 2019 police recruitment scam. He alleged that despite support from the Director General of Police (DGP) to register an FIR in the recruitment scam, the CBI has taken no action even after two years, implying possible bias or delay.
The order transferring the probe to the CBI had come shortly after video footage from the May 21 court proceedings—where the presiding judge expressed displeasure over the friction between SP Gandhi and DGP Atul Verma—went viral. The footage, shared by BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma, stirred political controversy. In response, Gandhi had filed a separate application (CMP No. 11747/2025), seeking suo motu action against the unauthorized circulation of the video. However, the High Court rejected his plea on May 28, citing the writ petition had already been disposed of.
Meanwhile, the development has sparked political reactions. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur accused the ruling Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government of orchestrating pressure tactics behind the scenes. “This is not merely a legal fight; it appears to be a deliberate move to silence officers who do not fall in line,” he alleged.
As the matter now lies before the division bench, all eyes are on whether the High Court will entertain Gandhi’s concerns over the CBI’s role and permit a review of the earlier directive.
