HPPCL engineer death case: Jairam Thakur says officers working against each other, Sukhu should resign

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 28 (ANI): Himachal BJP Party (BJP) on Wednesday submitted a detailed memorandum to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, raising serious concerns over the suspicious death of Vimal Negi, Chief Engineer and General Manager of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL).
Addressing the media in Shimla after handing over the memorandum, former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur demanded justice for the Negi family.
"We have presented five key points before the Governor through the memorandum. Our primary demand is to ensure that there is no tampering or destruction of evidence in the Vimal Negi death case. It must be taken with utmost seriousness," Jairam Thakur said.
He alleged that officers were working against each other and said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu should resign on moral grounds.
"The functioning of the government has collapsed. Officers are working against each other. MLAs don't trust the Chief Minister, and ministers have lost faith in him. In such a situation, this government has no moral right to stay in power. The Chief Minister must resign immediately on moral grounds," Thakur said.
He said that affidavits filed in the High Court, including those by the Director General of Police (DGP) and others, contain material suggesting "manipulation of evidence". "Strict action must be taken against the officers involved, and we have urged the Governor to ensure this is done," he added.
Thakur referred to allegations by the Superintendent of Police (SP), Shimla, against senior officials and insisted these must be brought under the ambit of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. "The third point we raised was that the serious allegations levelled by SP Shimla against senior officials must be probed by the CBI," he said.
The BJP has demanded expanding the CBI inquiry to cover corruption across the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation and, if required, involving the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for further investigation. "The fourth point is that the investigation must go beyond Vimal Negi's death and include all corruption in the Power Corporation. If required, it should be referred to the ED," Thakur said.
The memorandum also calls for disciplinary action against SP Shimla under conduct rules. "The SP must face proceedings for indiscipline as per the conduct rules," he said.
Jairam Thakur accused the government of shielding powerful individuals involved in corruption and pointed out irregularities in a solar power project in Una district. "Thirteen crore rupees were released without the required extension of time (EoT) documentation under IOT clauses, this is a serious allegation," he said.
"From day one, we have maintained that we have many issues to raise politically, but this is about justice. We stand with Vimal Negi's family. They deserve justice, and all those responsible, whether officials or political leaders, must face action," he added.
The former CM also questioned the state government's handling of SP Shimla's medical leave.
"The SP was already on medical leave. Why is the state government being so soft on him? Later, decisions were made to send certain officers on leave--this seems like an internal cover-up attempt. The aim is to divert attention," he alleged.
Jairam Thakur also attacked the Chief Minister and said CBI probe should have been ordered earlier.
"The CM says he was unaware of the case for two days. He claims if the Negi family had asked for a CBI probe, he would've ordered it on day one. But the truth is the family made that demand not once but multiple times. When the CBI team came to collect documents, they were blocked. The SP told them he was out of Shimla. That's how the investigation is being obstructed," Thakur alleged.
"The government first said it would challenge the SP's leave petition, then changed its decision. It became clear that officers were being shielded. SP's violations of conduct rules are evident. In this scenario, we have submitted a memorandum to the Governor on five major points," he added.
Thakur also slammed certain remarks of Chief Minister related to judiciary.
"The comments are inappropriate and amount to contempt of court. He questioned how many judges are from Himachal. This undermines the judiciary. The CM must refrain from such statements," he said.
Vimal Negi case continues to hit headlines in Himachal Pradesh.
The state government yesterday sent three senior officials, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Omkar Chand Sharma, Director General of Police (DGP) Atul Verma, and Superintendent of Police (Shimla) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi on leave.
According to officials, the action was prompted by mounting criticism over the handling of the investigation into the suspicious death of engineer Vimal Negi, whose body was found under mysterious circumstances earlier in March.
The action against officials have been taken following apparent indiscipline, allegations and counter allegations during the inquiry and investigations.
Allegations of administrative negligence, procedural lapses, and internal conflict within the police hierarchy had drawn sharp public and legal scrutiny.
The state government also effected a reshuffle, both in police leadership and civil administration, aimed at sending signal of discipline and accountability of officials. (ANI)