Sunil Chadha
Shimla: Even as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu recently assured full cooperation with a CBI probe into the death of Vimal Negi, the Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) has filed an appeal against the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s decision to hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The Shimla SP has filed an appeal against the decision of the single-judge Bench of the high court and probably wants the case to be heard afresh by a division bench.
The SP’s appeal has not yet been formally admitted by the Himachal Pradesh High Court as the court registry flagged multiple defects.
One key objection was that the appeal was filed in the officer’s official capacity without routing it through the Advocate General’s office. Additionally, several pages were reportedly illegible and other procedural lapses were noted. The appellant has been given time to correct the deficiencies and re-file the petition.
BJP accuses govt of attempts to block CBI probe
The move, however, has triggered a fresh political storm, with the BJP accusing the Congress government of attempting to shield the guilty and block the probe.
“This development directly contradicts Chief Minister Sukhu’s public statement made earlier this week, in which he claimed the state government would not challenge the High Court’s ruling and would cooperate fully with the CBI,” claimed BJP Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
Sukhu, for his part, has been criticising the BJP for politicising the case saying no one from Vimal Negi’s family had personally requested a CBI probe.
BJP alleges government cover-up
Jai Ram lashed out at the Congress government, alleging a coordinated attempt to subvert the High Court’s directive.
“The government is in panic because it fears the CBI probe will expose serious corruption. This appeal by the Shimla SP, filed under the Chief Minister’s tacit approval, is a desperate move to derail the investigation,” Jai Ram said in a strongly worded statement.
The former CM further claimed that the fact the Shimla SP filed the appeal citing Advocate General’s consent, but not through the AG’s office, revealed administrative disarray and a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny. He questioned why CM Sukhu had not taken any action against the SP for what he called a “blatant act of insubordination”.
The BJP leader also pointed to earlier incidents in the probe, including the alleged deletion of digital evidence by police, as reasons for the public’s mistrust and the demand for an independent inquiry.
CM denies double standards, hints at internal discord
In his press interaction, CM Sukhu acknowledged “internal squabbling” among top police officials and warned of disciplinary action against any officer found guilty of misconduct.
However, he denied any attempt to obstruct the CBI probe. “Our government is committed to justice for Vimal Negi’s family. Any officer found violating protocols will face action,” he said.
Sukhu said Vimal Negi’s family had never personally asked him for a CBI inquiry but reiterated his government’s willingness to cooperate. He criticised the opposition for exploiting the issue for political mileage and maintained that his administration was committed to transparency.
Chief Engineer Vimal Negi went missing under mysterious circumstances on March 10 and his body was found in the Gobind Sagar Lake on March 18. The family accused two officials of mental harassment, which fuelled widespread calls for a CBI probe and ultimately led to the High Court’s order transferring the case out of state jurisdiction.
