In an embarrassing turn of events for the state government, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday ordered a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into the mysterious death of Vimal Negi, Chief Engineer-cum-General Manager of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), in March 2025. The court also ruled that no officer of the Himachal cadre, including IPS officers serving in the state, should be involved in this probe.
The petition seeking the CBI probe was filed by Vimal Negi’s wife, Kiran Negi, who raised serious doubts about the investigation conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Gandhi.
Pronouncing his judgment in the open court, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel raised questions on the probe by the SIT and said it had inconsistencies and was not heading in the right direction. He said the affidavit of the Director General of Police, Atul Verma and the status report presented by the SIT had gaps and raised suspicion over the fairness of the probe.
The court observed that the material presented suggested the probe had failed to address key concerns raised by the deceased’s family. “Their doubts are not unfounded and merit an impartial investigation by an independent agency,” the court stated.
The High Court had reserved its order on May 21 after hearing detailed arguments between the petitioner’s counsel, former Advocate General R.K. Bawa, and current Advocate General Anoop Rattan. During the proceedings, the court strongly objected to SP Shimla speaking against the state DGP in court, calling it gross indiscipline.
The petition alleged that the SIT's probe was biased and ineffective. It cited harassment of Negi by senior officials and claimed that the death was not a suicide. The plea also highlighted alleged corruption in the execution of a solar plant project in Una district by HPPCL.
Speaking to the media after the verdict, petitioner’s counsel R.K. Bawa said the state government had tried to suppress the inquiry report by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), which had mentioned misconduct by Negi’s superiors and had even implicated some officers. He claimed the government attempted to keep this report off record.
The DGP’s status report reportedly mentioned that SP Shimla had ensured no records related to Negi’s death reached the DGP and had even directed SIT officers accordingly. It also raised questions about the formatting and deletion of data from a pen drive recovered from Negi’s body, retrieved from the Govind Sagar reservoir on March 18, 2025, by Assistant Sub Inspector Pankaj.
Vimal Negi, who hailed from Kinnaur and was posted in Shimla, had gone missing on March 10. His body was recovered from Bhakra Dam near Jhandutta in Bilaspur district on March 18. Upon arrival in Shimla, his family staged a protest and dharna, alleging harassment by senior HPPCL officials linked to corruption in the Una solar plant project. Although the case was initially termed a suicide, his family contested that claim.
In response to the public outrage, the government suspended one Director in HPPCL and transferred the Managing Director and another Director. An FIR was filed by Negi’s wife at a Shimla police station, naming one suspended Director but excluding the MD. A SIT was formed under SP Shimla, and an additional inquiry was initiated by the Additional Chief Secretary.
Negi’s family had consistently alleged that the police investigation was misdirected, focusing more on Negi’s medical condition and personal assets rather than probing lapses within HPPCL.
At a press conference following the verdict, the Himachal Chief Minister’s Principal Media Advisor, Naresh Chauhan, said the government respected the High Court’s order. He acknowledged the family's loss of faith in the state police and emphasised that the government had taken prompt action—from forming an SIT and ordering an ACS probe to suspending and transferring senior officials.
This case is expected to trigger political turmoil in Himachal Pradesh, with the opposition BJP already targeting the government for allegedly shielding officials and covering up a potential scam related to the Una solar plant project.
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