Who Will Give Justice to Vimal Negi? Shocking Twists Emerge in HPPCL GM’s Death, Family Cries Murder and Abetment
Shimla/Ghumarwin | March 18
The recovery of the decomposed body of Vimal Negi, GM-Chief Engineer of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), from the Bhakra Dam waters near Swarghat has not just left the engineering fraternity in shock, but has opened a Pandora’s box of corruption, coercion, and alleged abetment to suicide by top officials of the corporation.
Negi, a man known for his integrity and uprightness, had been missing since March 10.
What initially looked like a case of a missing officer has now snowballed into a murky corporate mess involving controversial projects, power games, and pressure tactics.
The family has now lodged a formal FIR, blaming top HPPCL officers . Meena, and his close aides for pushing Negi into depression and ultimately his death.
They allege it’s not just suicide – it’s cold-blooded murder and abetment.
The Death and the Dark Underbelly of HPPCL Projects
Sources revealed that on March 10, Negi came to his office but suddenly asked his official driver to take him to Tanzin Hospital.
After seeing a long queue, he abruptly left, got off at the Lift area, and disappeared – his phones going silent. He hired taxi till Ghumarwin and went mission that day.
Days later, his body surfaced in the Bhakra reservoir – leaving his family shattered.
But what happened before his disappearance tells a spine-chilling story.
The moment the news of Negi’s body recovery flashed, MD H. Meena and Director Shivam Pratap Singh rushed out of the HPPCL head office.
Soon after, a police team reached the office, sealed files, attendance records, and detained Director (Electrical) Des Raj, a much junior officer who was controversially promoted over seniors – raising serious questions.
Insiders revealed the real rot lies in the 45 MW Pekhubal Solar Power Project in Una, executed at a cost of ₹241 crore.
Negi, as a senior officer, was forced by MD Meena to sign off on a chargesheet against the Una head office – a move Negi later regretted deeply.
“He even came to HO and apologised, saying there was a method behind the madness. He was forced by Meena to sign thd chargesheet.It weighed heavily on his mind,” revealed an insider.
The project had already drawn flak in the December 2024 Winter Session in Dharamshala, where BJP leaders accused the Sukhu government of deep-rooted corruption.
₹200 Crore Escalation, ₹30 Crore Kickbacks – The Shontong Power Project Scam
Another skeleton tumbled out when the Shontong Power Project on the Sutlej River in Kinnaur, being executed by HPPCL, saw a suspicious ₹200 crore cost escalation.
The government allegedly revised component costs, favouring Patel Engineering, all under the nose of MD Meena.
An anonymous letter doing the rounds flagged a ₹30 crore kickback – with Meena’s name surfacing directly. Though Meena lodged an FIR to silence the whispers, the police are yet to file a chargesheet.
“They Broke Him Completely,” Says Family
Negi’s family and insiders claim he was a man of principles, caught in a toxic environment where he was repeatedly forced to become a pawn in shady deals.
“He was not ready to compromise. They broke him completely. He slipped into deep depression,” said a family member.
Villagers from Katgaon (Negi’s native village) and engineers across the state staged protests, demanding action against the high and mighty who allegedly pushed Negi to the brink.
Will the System Protect the Powerful or Deliver Justice?
As the FIR now formally names top officials and mentions abetment to suicide and murder, the big question is – who will give justice to Vimal Negi?
Will this just become another statistic in the mountain of corruption scandals or will the truth finally surface?
Engineers across the state are watching closely – if the system fails to protect one of their own, what hope does anyone else have?
