Allege government misusing authority and trying to become party in case
TNR News Network
Shimla:
The family of late Vimal Negi, Chief Engineer with the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation, has strongly objected to the state government’s repeated attempts to become a party in the ongoing case, despite the matter already being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
They accused the government of misusing its authority and interfering unnecessarily, even after the Himachal Pradesh High Court handed over the probe to the central agency.
Speaking to the media outside the Himachal Pradesh High Court, Vimal Negi’s relatives expressed concern over what they described as “aggressive and questionable” involvement by the government. “Is the Superintendent of Police above the Chief Minister that he personally comes to court carrying files to be made a party in the case?” a family member questioned.
Relatives question govt’s U-turn on matter
Rajinder Singh Negi, the maternal uncle of the deceased, said the family is fully satisfied with the CBI-led investigation and the progress being made under the court’s supervision.
“We fail to understand the government’s desperation to become involved in a case where it earlier committed to staying out. The Chief Minister himself had stated that the investigation would be left entirely to the CBI and now this sudden U-turn raises doubts,” he said.
The family further alleged that state authorities may be trying to shield certain officials potentially implicated in the matter. They also pointed out irregularities in the internal inquiries conducted so far, claiming that junior officers were assigned to investigate findings submitted by Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Chand Sharma.
Say wouldn’t have sought CBI probe had police acted
“If the police SIT was indeed doing an honest job, why did the High Court find it necessary to transfer the case to the CBI in the first place?” asked Rajinder Singh. He appealed to the court to take note of what he termed a “clear violation of judicial directives” by the state.
Adding to the voices of concern, Vimal Negi’s wife Kiran Negi’s counsel also opposed the state’s attempt to become a party to the case. The lawyer noted that Harikesh Meena, one of the accused, has already applied for bail and regular hearings are ongoing.
On September 8, the government filed a plea requesting to join the case proceedings, which was initially accepted by the court. However, the CBI has since filed an application challenging that decision, arguing that the government has no standing in a case under central investigation.
“We support the CBI’s position,” Kiran’s lawyer stated. “When the High Court has already entrusted the case to the CBI, there is no basis for the state government to intervene. This is a matter of justice, not politics.”
