CM Sukhu made it clear that his government will not tolerate any indiscipline within the administration or police force.
Shimla, May 26 — Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has raised serious concerns over a direction issued by the Himachal Pradesh High Court in the ongoing investigation into the death of HPPCL engineer Vimal Negi. The High Court recently handed over the case to the CBI and directed that no official from the Himachal Pradesh cadre should be part of the investigating team.
Speaking to reporters in Shimla, CM Sukhu expressed reservations over this particular instruction, although he made it clear that the state government would not challenge the High Court’s overall decision.
“The viewpoint of the High Court has come into the case and has handed over the investigation to the CBI. The Himachal Pradesh government fully accepts the High Court’s decision, and we will not file any appeal. We want Vimal Negi’s family to get justice,” said CM Sukhu.
However, the Chief Minister disagreed with a specific remark made by the judge about excluding Himachal officers from the CBI team.
“But I do not agree with a comment by Justice Sahib that there should be no officer from Himachal. Whenever such an inquiry takes place, no officer from Himachal or any beneficiary can be involved, and it is a question mark in itself how many Judges are there in the Himachal High Court who are related to Himachal. This is a question mark and that is why I say that we should refrain such statements and comments,” Sukhu remarked.
He went on to say, “That is why I am saying this. We are all bound by the law and function according to legal norms. It is our duty to follow the law. We have already made it clear that the Himachal Pradesh government will extend every possible support to the CBI in its investigation to ensure that justice is delivered to Vimal Negi’s family.”
Sukhu made it clear that his government will not tolerate any indiscipline within the administration or police force. He informed that crucial reports have already been submitted to the High Court, including those from the Director General of Police (DGP), the Special Investigation Team (SIT), and the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS).
He also clarified that the CBI is free to scrutinise those official reports.
“Indiscipline among officials will not be tolerated, no matter how senior they are,” he stated firmly.
Background
Vimal Negi, an engineer at the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), had joined the department on June 15, 2024. Just two weeks later, on July 1, 2024, he reportedly began experiencing stress and sought medical help for anxiety.
He mysteriously went missing on March 10, 2025, from Shimla. Despite protests and continuous search operations led by IG Gyaneshwar Thakur, Negi’s body was eventually recovered on March 18, 2025, from Bilaspur. His tragic death sparked outrage across the state, with his family and the public alleging negligence, foul play, and attempts at cover-up.
CM Sukhu said that the family was misled by BJP leaders into thinking that the state government was not taking sufficient action.
“We did not wait for any request to begin the inquiry. The wife of Vimal Negi met me personally, and I immediately directed the DGP to act. Under IG Gyaneshwar Thakur, we recovered the body. We constituted a departmental and administrative committee suo motu, without waiting for any request or demand,” he explained.
Based on the family’s demands, the government suspended HPPCL Director Desh Raj and transferred the Managing Director.
“My colleague Jagat Negi had raised this strongly, and we took action swiftly. We even considered transferring the case to the CBI ourselves,” he said.
CM Sukhu did not hold back in blaming the BJP for allegedly using the tragedy for political gains.
“The BJP has tried to give political colour to Vimal Negi’s death and misled the grieving family for their own agenda. Their new MP, who himself is tainted by corruption, is now using this tragedy to mislead the public,” he accused.
He even challenged former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to come forward with facts.
“The person who made the allegations against HPPCL officials had himself approved payments. Shouldn’t those officers be questioned too? BJP has no real sympathy with the family. They are just using the case for media trials,” Sukhu said.
The Chief Minister revealed that a crucial piece of evidence—a pen drive—was initially omitted but was later retrieved. He also mentioned that there were internal disputes and grudges among police officers, and a detailed affidavit on the matter has already been submitted by the DGP.
Even though the state government will not file any further appeal or Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) against the High Court’s order, Sukhu reiterated his disapproval of the instruction to exclude Himachal officers.
“Isn’t it important to ask how many judges in the High Court are actually from Himachal Pradesh?” he questioned.
He concluded by urging BJP leaders to cooperate with the probe instead of making public statements.
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“BJP leaders must now come forward and submit all relevant documents directly to the CBI instead of making public statements,” he said.
This entire matter has become one of the most politically sensitive and emotionally charged issues in Himachal Pradesh. It highlights the growing tensions between the Congress-led government, sections of the judiciary, and the BJP opposition.
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