The mysterious death of Vimal Negi, Chief Engineer-cum-General Manager of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), has sparked intense political controversy in Himachal Pradesh.
Despite parallel investigations by the state police and an inquiry led by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Onkar Sharma, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains firm in its demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, citing serious allegations of corruption within the Power Corporation.
Negi went missing on March 10, and his body was recovered from Bhakra Dam near Jhandutta in Bilaspur district days later. When his remains were brought to Shimla on March 18, widespread protests erupted.
Family members, employees of the Power Corporation, and residents from his native district of Kinnaur staged a sit-in demonstration, alleging that Negi had been subjected to intense mental harassment by officials within HPPCL. His wife, who refused to accept the theory of suicide, lodged an FIR, further fueling demands for justice.
In response to the public outcry, the state government swiftly initiated an inquiry under ACS Onkar Sharma, removed the Managing Director (an IAS officer) from active duty, and suspended a Director who had been named in the FIR for abetment to suicide.
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Notably, while the FIR explicitly names the Director, it only refers to the Managing Director by designation, which the BJP has seized upon as evidence of possible bias.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, along with other BJP leaders, visited Negi’s hometown of Katgaon in Kinnaur to express condolences and reaffirm their demand for an impartial CBI inquiry. The opposition argues that a state-led probe will be unable to deliver justice, particularly when an IAS officer is investigating allegations against another IAS officer.
“The state government’s reluctance to involve the CBI raises suspicions,” Thakur said, criticizing the Congress-led administration. He also dismissed accusations that the BJP was politicising the tragedy, challenging Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and other Congress leaders to visit Negi’s grieving family.
Chief Minister Sukhu, however, defended the government’s response, stating that he had personally spoken to Negi’s wife, who expressed confidence in the ongoing inquiry.
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In a counterattack, he questioned the BJP’s inconsistency in demanding CBI probes, pointing to the case of former BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma, who was found dead in his Delhi residence under mysterious circumstances.
“Why didn’t the BJP call for a CBI inquiry into his death? His widow recently alleged that BJP leaders abandoned their family despite Sharma’s lifetime of service to the party,” Sukhu argued in the Assembly.
The state investigation continues amid mounting public scrutiny. The inquiry report by ACS Onkar Sharma is expected within 15 days, yet doubts persist over its impartiality. Meanwhile, sources reveal that the Director named in the FIR, who was recently denied anticipatory bail by the High Court, is currently untraceable.
His disappearance has further complicated the police and administrative probes, adding to the perception that crucial information may be suppressed. With the controversy now firmly in the public eye, the outcome of the state inquiry will have significant political ramifications for the Congress government.
The unfolding events will determine whether the administration can maintain credibility or whether mounting pressure will force it to cede to the opposition’s demand for a CBI investigation.
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