Protests erupt in Shimla over death of HPPCL engineer Vimal Negi, Jai Ram Thakur visits family with all BJP MLAs

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 20 (ANI): A protest is being done by the family members and colleagues of the deceased Engineer who died in a suspicious situation in Himachal Pradesh. The body of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) engineer Vimal Negi was kept outside the HPCL office in the BCS area.
Negi's family members, relatives, and HPPCL employees gathered in large numbers, demanding justice and immediate action against senior officials allegedly responsible for the undue pressure that led to his untimely death.
The protesters demanded the suspension of HPPCL's Managing Director Hrikesh Meena and Director Deshraj while urging the authorities to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The agitation continued for over eight hours, with demonstrators blocking the main road leading to New Shimla.
Amid the mounting tension, former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, reached the protest site along with the entire BJP legislative team to meet Negi's grieving family.
Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, Thakur said, "I came here to meet the family members. This is very tragic. He was an honest officer, an honest engineer. His colleagues say this, and his family says the same. But what expectations did the government have from him? What work were they trying to get done by pressuring him continuously? This pressure had been building up for a long time, and today, we have his dead body before us."
The family, devastated by Negi's sudden demise, strongly suspects foul play.
Thakur reiterated their demand for accountability, stating, "It is necessary to know whether this is a murder or suicide. The family has indicated the names of three specific officers. Action should be taken against them. But so far, only their transfers have been discussed. A man has lost his life! The family and the public are demanding their suspension, and they are saying they will not move from here until action is taken."
He further added that he had urged the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) Shimla to convey the family's emotions to the government and Chief Minister.
Thakur also said that this issue had been raised in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly for the past three days. He criticized the government's handling of the case.
"Even when the Chief Minister gave his statement in the Assembly, the concerns we raised have proven to be true. What the family is saying today aligns with the doubts we had expressed earlier. They are demanding a CBI investigation, and we fully support this demand. The investigation must be fair and transparent." Jai Ram Thakur further said.
The former CM further assured that the BJP would continue to press for justice in the Assembly and also take the matter to the Governor. He urged the family to provide a written request for a CBI probe, promising that he would escalate the demand to the central government.
The incident has triggered a significant political storm in Himachal Pradesh, with the opposition intensifying its attack on the state government. The growing demand for a CBI inquiry suggests that the case might soon escalate to the national level.
As the protest continued late into the night, Negi's family and colleagues remained firm in their stance, refusing to relent until justice was served. (ANI)