Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 25 (ANI): Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Himachal Pradesh, Jairam Thakur, on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led state government over its handling of the suspicious death case of HPPCL engineer Vimal Negi.
The LoP demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the arrest of officials responsible for the death of Vimal Negi.
“Law and order in Himachal Pradesh has always been considered among the best, but the current situation is extremely concerning,” said Jai Ram Thakur, while speaking to the media on the case.
Vimal Negi had gone missing on March 10, and his body was recovered ten days later. His family and colleagues had earlier raised concerns about pressure at the workplace.
The family had suspected foul play and had demanded a CBI inquiry, alleging that senior officials protected by the state government were involved in his demise.
“The family wanted a CBI probe into it as the officials responsible for pressurising Vimal Negi had government protection. We had raised it in the Assembly as the session was in progress,” Jairam Thakur said.
“Chief Minister Sukhu falsely claimed that the family was not demanding any such probe and instead accused us of politicising the issue. But we were suspecting massive corruption, and it is now being proven. They wanted to destroy the evidence,” he said.
Jai Ram Thakur further said the family lost faith in the state government and ultimately approached the High Court, which led to the transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“After waiting for a few days, the family members believed that the state government and the Chief Minister will not support them in any manner. They went to the High Court and the case was ultimately transferred to the CBI. It is now clear the CM was lying,” Thakur said.
The former CM also raised alarming questions about indiscipline within the police force and internal disputes among top police officials.
Thakur noted that in an unprecedented turn of events, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Shimla held a press conference making serious allegations against the current and former DGPs as well as BJP leaders.
The Advocate General even addressed the media, raising questions on the judiciary’s role.
“This kind of public mudslinging between senior officials has never been witnessed in the history of the state. Justice to the deceased was ignored while these blame games continued,” Thakur said.
He alleged that the state government was shielding corrupt officers and flagged major irregularities in the Pekhubela Solar Power Project in Una, where Vimal Negi had reportedly been pressured to clear files.
“We had been raising corruption issues in the state. The state government has protected and empowered the accused officers. The SP and Advocate General have committed contempt of court. The SP has even written to the CBI Director that they won’t share the case file, stating that they are filing a leave petition. Is the SP authorised to represent the government, or has the CM given such powers to an SP?” Thakur asked.
Earlier on Friday, Himachal Pradesh Minister Jagat Negi said the state government had taken all the necessary steps in handling the death case of HPCCL engineer Vimal Negi before the probe was handed over to the CBI.
Jagat Negi, Revenue and Horticulture Minister in the Himachal Pradesh government and MLA from Kinnaur, responded to the court’s decision and said, “I haven’t read the order yet. Only after understanding the points raised by the High Court for handing over the case to the CBI will I be able to respond fully.”
“The state government had taken every necessary step from day one. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted, and a departmental inquiry was initiated. All efforts were made,” he said.
Negi criticised the opposition for politicising the issue and said, “The opposition started making noise from the first day–even before the FIR was registered. This is not the first case where the opposition has attempted to create such a narrative,” he added.
Addressing allegations that the family of Vimal Negi had to demand a CBI inquiry to get justice, Negi clarified that multiple investigations were already underway.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the death of HPCCL engineer Vimal Negi, following a petition filed by his wife.
The court’s decision came after growing concerns over the integrity of the state police investigation and allegations of foul play.
Vimal Negi, a senior engineer with HPPCL, had gone missing on March 10, and his body was recovered on March 18 under suspicious circumstances. The post-mortem report indicated that he had died around five days prior to the recovery of his body.
However, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the state police, failed to provide any clarity about his whereabouts between March 10 and 14, raising serious questions about the credibility of the investigation.
With the case now handed over to the CBI, the Negi family, supported by widespread public sentiment and demands for justice, hopes that a transparent and impartial investigation will finally uncover the truth behind Vimal Negi’s death. (ANI)
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HINDI, MARATHI, GUJARATI, TAMIL, TELUGU, BENGALI, KANNADA, ORIYA, PUNJABI, URDU, MALAYALAM
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