India News | HP: BJP Submits Memorandum to Governor Seeking Widening of Probe in Vimal Negi Case
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The BJP legislature party in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, demanding protection of evidence in the Vimal Negi death case and widening the scope of the CBI investigation to probe alleged corruption in the state power corporation.
Shimla, May 28 (PTI) The BJP legislature party in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, demanding protection of evidence in the Vimal Negi death case and widening the scope of the CBI investigation to probe alleged corruption in the state power corporation.
On the direction of the high court, the CBI has taken over the probe into the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) chief engineer Vimal Negi who had gone missing on March 10. His body was found on March 18 in Bilapsur under mysterious circumstances and his wife alleged that he was harassed by his seniors. The case stirred a political storm in the state, with the opposition BJP alleging a cover-up.
BJP lawmakers led by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Jai Ram Thakur met the Governor and alleged that the death of Negi under mysterious circumstances exposes the "deteriorating law and order situation in the state besides administration collapse, indiscipline and corruption".
The three-page memorandum demanded steps to ensure that evidence in the case is not tampered with and action against officials who allegedly interfered with the probe. It also sought an investigation into allegations made by Superintendent of Police Shimla Sanjeev Kumar against senior officials and the sacking of SP Shimla.
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It demanded that the scope of investigation of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be widened to probe the alleged corruption in the Power Corporation and if needed, the Enforcement Directorate be also involved in the investigation.
"Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu should resign on moral grounds," Jai Ram Thakur told media persons here while state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal said that the administration has "totally collapsed" in the state and the government has lost the moral right to stay in power.
"Allegations of releasing Rs 13 crore without extension of time (EOT) in Pekhubella project as pointed out in audit is a serious matter," Thakur said and added that the development works have come to a standstill in the state in the past two and a half years but officers are made to sit till 2 am in the night for Pekhubella project.
"Despite continuous demand by the family members of Vimal Negi to hand over the probe to CBI, the CM says that the probe would have been transferred to the CBI if the family members had asked for it. Moreover, the case record was not handed over to the CBI even after directions of the High Court," he said.
Meanwhile, state Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said the government is committed to providing justice to Negi's family and will cooperate with the CBI at all levels,
He said that the BJP submitted the memorandum to the Governor against the government in haste and asked the opposition party not to do politics over the case.
On Friday, the Himachal Pradesh High Court ordered that the case be transferred from the Special Investigation Team headed by SP Gandhi to the CBI after the DGP submitted a status report to the HC questioning the impartiality of the probe by the SIT.
A day later, SP Shimla Gandhi levelled serious charges against DGP Atul Verma, his staff, the chief secretary, former DGP Sanjay Kundu and sitting BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma in a press conference, following which the DGP wrote a letter to ACS (Home) recommending the suspension of the SP.
The CBI on Tuesday lodged an FIR in the Negi death case for abetment to suicide and common intention under sections 108 and 3 (5) of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Raising questions on the handling of the case by the Congress government, the BJP leaders, who had on March 21 submitted another memorandum to the governor demanding a CBI inquiry in the case, expressed doubts on whether the state government will cooperate with the CBI.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)