In a significant development in the high-profile death case of Chief Engineer Vimal Negi, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has upheld the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), declining to interfere with the earlier order passed by a Single Bench. The court made this observation while hearing a petition filed by Sanjeev Gandhi, the IPS officer who led the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma ruled that Gandhi’s appeal was non-maintainable insofar as it challenged the very decision to hand over the case to the CBI. However, the court has agreed to examine a limited aspect of the appeal — specifically regarding Gandhi’s request to expunge certain critical observations made in the earlier ruling, which he claims may adversely affect his professional standing.
Vimal Negi, a Chief Engineer with the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited, had mysteriously gone missing on March 10. After days of an intense but inconclusive investigation, his body was found in the Govindsagar reservoir in Bilaspur on March 18. His death raised serious suspicions and concerns within his family, who alleged possible bias in the local police probe and questioned the neutrality of the SIT. Consequently, Negi’s wife, Kiran Negi, approached the High Court seeking a central investigation into the matter.
The Single Bench had, in its previous order, cited concerns regarding the impartiality and depth of the SIT probe, recommending that the investigation be transferred to the CBI to ensure credibility and justice. However, Gandhi, who was then Superintendent of Police in Shimla and led the SIT, contested this decision. He argued that some of the remarks made in the judgment — particularly those linked to the reports of the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) — might cast aspersions on his integrity and have long-term implications on his career in the Indian Police Service.
While the High Court made it clear that the primary decision to hand over the case to the CBI was final and would not be reversed, it acknowledged the professional concerns raised by Gandhi. Notices have now been issued to the Himachal Pradesh government and Kiran Negi, seeking their response solely on the issue of whether certain parts of the previous judgment should be revised or removed.
This development reflects a crucial intersection between institutional accountability and individual reputational concerns in public service. The court’s decision to uphold the CBI probe reinforces the judiciary’s emphasis on impartial and transparent investigations, particularly in cases involving public functionaries or where conflict of interest is perceived. At the same time, it shows a nuanced understanding of the career implications judicial observations may have for serving officers.
As the case moves forward, the CBI is expected to bring fresh perspective and nationwide credibility to the investigation, offering some reassurance to the family and the wider public who have been demanding justice in what many view as a mysterious and unresolved death. The focus will now shift to both the progress of the CBI investigation and the High Court’s future stance on whether remarks impacting Gandhi’s service record deserve to be struck down.
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