CBI arrests ASI Pankaj n mysterious Vimal Negi death case, Shimla police under scanner
SHIMLA: In a major twist to the mysterious death case of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) official Vimal Negi, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today arrested Pankaj Kumar, a police assistant sub-inspector, from his native village Bharadi in Bilaspur.
The Himachal Pradesh Police Department had put him under suspension after his dubious role surfaced in connection with the case.
Negi, an officer with HPPCL, had gone missing from his office in Shimla on March 10.
His body was later recovered from the Bhakra Dam on March 17, sending shockwaves across the state. The suspicious circumstances surrounding his death had already raised questions about lapses in the initial probe by Shimla Police.
The arrest of ASI Pankaj is being seen as a serious development as it puts the spotlight squarely on the local police.
Sources said that the CBI has even summoned the Shimla SP twice in connection with the investigation.
However, the SP failed to appear, citing his “preoccupation with other official assignments”. CBI has yet to plan action in the case.
For now, the Himachal Pradesh Police remains tight-lipped, refusing to issue any official statement on the matter.
The case had earlier been transferred to the CBI by the Himachal Pradesh High Court, acting on a plea by Negi’s wife, Kiran Negi, who alleged foul play and cover-up.
Following the transfer, the CBI registered the case in its New Delhi police station and widened the scope of its probe.
According to investigators, ASI Pankaj was allegedly involved in the destruction of crucial evidence.
A pen drive, believed to hold sensitive information related to the case, was reportedly concealed during the early phase of investigation and was later recovered by the CBI.
His arrest on these grounds has only deepened suspicions in the case, but the CBI is moving slowly in the case.
Meanwhile, controversy continues to swirl around the HPPCL itself.
The state government has given charge of Chief Engineer in HPSEBL to Desraj , a former director of the corporation, despite his name being dragged into case as the main accused.
At the same time, the corporation’s Managing Director, H Mena, is also in the dock, battling a bail application in the High Court.
The case related the bai application Des Raj is pending in Supreme Court, which has sought a status report from the CBI in its next hearing.
With the state’s premier investigating agency tightening its grip, the net appears to be widening, and the shadow of suspicion looms larger over both the police and the power corporation.
For the family of Vimal Negi, however, the hope remains that truth will finally come out of the darkness of conspiracy and cover-ups.
His wife Kiran, who fought relentlessly to get the case out of the state police’s hands, awaits justice with bated breath.
#VimalNegiCase #CBIInvestigation #JusticeForVimalNegi #HimachalPradesh
