Oral observation comes during hearing on bail plea of accused officer Desh Raj
Sourabh sood
Shimla/New Delhi:
In an unprecedented rebuke, the Supreme Court on Monday (November 17, 2025) tore into the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its “childish”, “incompetent” and “bogus” handling of the probe into the alleged abetment to s8uicide of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) Chief Engineer Vimal Negi.
Calling the officers “completely bogus”, the Supreme Court said such officers were not fit to remain in service.
A bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra made sharp oral observations while hearing the anticipatory bail petition of former HPPCL Director Desh Raj, an officer accused of mentally harassing Vimal Negi at workplace. The top court questioned how the CBI concluded non-cooperation merely because the accused denied allegations.
“Who is the investigator who is asking these questions? This is childish. I am going to comment on this investigator. If he is a senior officer, it is very unfortunate for the CBI. What kind of officers are there in the CBI? Completely bogus officers —unfit to remain in service. Nothing comes out of this; it is a useless document,” the bench said in its oral remarks.
Calling the interrogation “useless” and full of “surmises”, Justice Amanullah said the Shimla district police “would have done a better job”. “This is why the CBI has come to this position — Nobody trusts you. Thorough incompetence!” the court observed.
The Supreme Court also pulled up the agency for asking accusatory questions rather than investigating evidence, noting that nothing concrete was shown to establish abetment. Even a sealed-cover report submitted by the CBI failed to impress the bench, which termed the allegations “vague”.
Despite the ongoing investigation, the Supreme Court made the interim protection granted earlier absolute, directing that if arrested or if he surrenders within three weeks, the accused must be released on bail, subject to conditions set by the trial court. The bench stressed that “cooperation in the probe remains mandatory”.
The harsh censure of the CBI comes amid continuing criticism of investigative standards and alleged politicisation of central agencies.
