Shimla, May 28 (IANS) The Opposition BJP in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday urged Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to ensure no tampering of evidence in Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd Chief Engineer Vimal Negi’s death case and all allegations levelled by the Shimla Superintendent of Police against senior government functionaries are looked into to bring out the truth.
BJP legislature party, led by Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, submitted a memorandum to the Governor, urging him to ensure no tampering of records and all records are duly handed over to the CBI, which has been entrusted by the High Court to investigate the death.
“The manner in which the Superintendent of Police had levelled allegations against all his seniors, both IAS and IPS, only reflected the ‘indiscipline’ in the services,” said the BJP, which demanded the suspension of the Superintendent of Police for “irresponsible behaviour.”
The CBI inquiry must also look into the allegations of financial irregularities and corruption in the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd, which is setting up both solar and hydel power projects, reads the memorandum.
The delegation highlighted the issue of concealing crucial evidence like a pen drive found with Negi’s body, and demanded that action be taken against all officials who tried to hide facts.
“These very officers did not arrest officers against whom the family of Negi had levelled allegations of mental harassment and giving them ample time to seek bail from various courts.”
“Moreover, the action against honest officers, whose reports had brought crucial evidence to the fore, was unfortunate and demoralising,” the memorandum added.
In a major face-saving exercise amid bureaucratic tussle, the Congress government on Tuesday sent top functionaries — Director General of Police (DGP) Atul Verma and Additional Chief Secretary (CS) (Home) Onkar Sharma, and Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Gandhi on leave for “indiscipline”.
This comes in the wake of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registering a first information report (FIR) on the direction of the High Court in the death of the Chief Engineer, whose family alleged harassment and abetment to suicide by seniors.
Negi’s body was recovered from the Bhakra Dam in Bilaspur district on March 18 after he went missing on March 10.
DGP Verma, the 1991-batch IPS officer, due to retire on May 31, has been replaced by Ashok Tiwari, the 1993-batch IPS officer currently posted as DGP (Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau).
He has been given the additional charge of the DGP.
DGP Verma and Additional Chief Secretary Sharma have been accused of filing status reports before the High Court relating to the Chief Engineer’s death case without getting them vetted through the Advocate General, while Superintendent of Police Gandhi had accused DGP’s staff of having links with a drug-peddling syndicate.
However, the DGP had already recommended Gandhi’s suspension.
The latter was heading the Special Investigating Team (SIT) formed by the government to investigate the Chief Engineer’s death. Additional Chief Secretary Sharma has been divested of all portfolios, including Home and Revenue. His contemporary Kamlesh Pant has been given the portfolios of Home and Vigilance.
A day before sending the top functionaries involved in the case on leave, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu accused the BJP of politicising the case and said the government would not appeal against the High Court’s order.
CM Sukhu told the media that Negi’s family had never approached him for a CBI inquiry.
“The state government will fully cooperate with the CBI and provide it every possible help to ensure that the aggrieved family gets justice,” he clarified.
The High Court on May 23 transferred the investigation from the state police to the CBI. Pronouncing the order, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel directed the CBI to take over the probe from the police’s special investigation team (SIT) and directed that no state-cadre officer should be attached with the CBI team for a fair investigation.
The victim’s wife, Kiran Negi, had moved the high court to demand a CBI probe. However, the government had constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) after registering a case of abetment to suicide against top HPPCL functionaries, comprising HPPCL Managing Director Harikesh Meena, Director (Personnel) Shivam Pratap and Director (Electrical) Desh Raj.
–IANS
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