The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has officially registered a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the mysterious death of Vimal Negi, the Chief Engineer of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (HPPCL).

The case was transferred to the CBI by the Himachal Pradesh High Court on May 23, following a petition filed by Negi’s wife, Kiran Negi.

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The FIR, lodged at the SC-1 Police Station in New Delhi, invokes Sections 108 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Section 108 deals with abetment of suicide, carrying a penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine.

Section 3(5) holds all individuals equally liable if a crime is committed with shared intent.

Negi was reported missing on March 10, and his body was recovered from Gobindsagar Lake on March 18. His family staged a protest outside the HPPCL office in Kasumpti, alleging foul play.

Based on Kiran Negi’s complaint, the New Shimla Police registered an FIR the same night, naming senior officials, including Director (Electrical) Desraj and Managing Director Harikesh Meena.

She accused them of subjecting her husband to mental harassment that drove him to suicide.

In response, the Himachal Pradesh government ordered an administrative inquiry headed by Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Sharma.

However, discrepancies between reports filed by the ACS, the Director General of Police, and the Superintendent of Police, Shimla, led to questions about the integrity of the police investigation.

The DGP’s report criticised the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for lapses in its probe.

Citing these inconsistencies, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel of the Himachal Pradesh High Court ordered that the case be handed over to the CBI, with specific instructions to exclude officers from the Himachal Pradesh cadre.
As a result, the case was assigned to the CBI’s Delhi unit rather than its Chandigarh branch.

The investigation team comprises DSP Brijendra Prasad Singh, Inspector Pradeep Kumar, and Sub-Inspector Nilesh Singh.