What Led to the Chief Engineer’s Death? CBI Takes Over Case, Himachal DGP, Additional CS, SP on Leave

Shimla, May 28 (NationPress) In a significant move to address allegations of a cover-up regarding the death of a Chief Engineer, the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has placed several high-ranking officials on leave for "indiscipline." This includes Director General of Police (DGP) Atul Verma, Additional Chief Secretary (CS) (Home) Onkar Sharma, and Sanjeev Gandhi, the Shimla Superintendent of Police.

This action follows the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registering a first information report (FIR) on the directive of the High Court concerning the death of a Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) Chief Engineer, whose relatives claim he faced harassment and was driven to suicide by higher-ups.

The body of Negi was found in the Bhakra Dam in Bilaspur district on March 18 after he had been missing since March 10.

DGP Verma, a 1991-batch IPS officer set to retire on May 31, is replaced by Ashok Tiwari, a 1993-batch IPS officer currently serving as DGP (Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau), who will also assume the role of DGP.

Both DGP Verma and Additional Chief Secretary Sharma have been accused of submitting status reports to the High Court regarding the Chief Engineer’s death without proper vetting by the Advocate General. Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Gandhi has alleged that the DGP's staff has connections with a drug syndicate, which led to the DGP's recommendation for Gandhi's suspension. Gandhi was leading the Special Investigating Team (SIT) appointed by the government.

Additional Chief Secretary Sharma has been stripped of all responsibilities, including Home and Revenue, with Kamlesh Pant now overseeing these portfolios.

In addition, Gaurav Singh, the Superintendent of Police in Solan, has been given the extra responsibility of Shimla’s Superintendent of Police.

Just a day prior to this decision, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu accused the BJP of politicizing the matter and assured that the government would not contest the High Court's ruling.

CM Sukhu stated to the media that Negi’s family had not approached him for a CBI investigation. “The state government will fully cooperate with the CBI and provide all necessary assistance to ensure the affected family receives justice,” he emphasized.

The High Court, on May 23, ordered the transfer of the investigation from the state police to the CBI, instructing that no local officers should be involved with the CBI team to guarantee an impartial inquiry.

The victim’s wife, Kiran Negi, had petitioned the High Court for a CBI investigation. The government had formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) after filing a case for abetment to suicide against senior HPPCL officials, including Harikesh Meena, Shivam Pratap, and Desh Raj.

The petitioner's counsel, R.K. Bawa, stated: “Kiran Negi was dissatisfied with the SIT's investigation from the outset. The government failed to act on the report from Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Chand Sharma, which implicated the officers accused by the family of misconduct. The government chose to withhold his report.”

“The SIT appeared biased and focused solely on the victim's medical history,” he remarked to the media.

On April 8, Additional Chief Secretary Sharma submitted a comprehensive 66-page fact-finding inquiry report to the government but declined to amend it at the request of the Secretary of Power, who wanted to include responses from the accused officers.

The conflicting statements from DGP Verma and the Shimla Superintendent of Police raised doubts about the SIT's impartiality.

BJP spokesperson and legislator Trilok Jamwal expressed to the media in Shimla that it was regrettable that the government attempted to deprive justice from the family by establishing three investigation teams.

The DGP claimed a lack of cooperation with the investigation, while the Superintendent of Police asserted that the inquiry was conducted fairly. The Advocate General opposed the transfer of the case to the CBI, while the Additional Chief Secretary held an opposing view, Jamwal noted.