‘Absolutely bogus officers’: SC questions competence of CBI officials in Vimal Negi death case

The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on the CBI and questioned the competence of some of its officials probing the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited officer Vimal Negi, terming them “absolutely bogus officers” who were not fit to be in service.

A Bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra was hearing a plea filed by a person named Desh Raj seeking anticipatory bail.

“Who is the investigator putting questions? This is childish. I am going to comment on this investigator. If he is a senior officer, it reflects very sadly on the CBI. A question like ‘you transferred him because of this’ - is this the question you are putting to the accused?

“And what answers do you expect from him? Let us forget all this. If I put a question to the accused that you did this, what answer do you expect? He would deny, right? But is this non-cooperation? If he is silent, the right to remain silent is a constitutional right.

“You say this is non-cooperation? What type of officers do you have in CBI? Absolutely bogus officers. Not fit to be in service. Nothing comes from this, useless type of document. All surmises, nothing concrete that says look here - this is the evidence,” the bench observed orally.

The case pertains to allegations that Desh Raj, Director (Electrical), Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited, along with other senior officials mentally tortured the deceased Vimal Negi, who was also an officer in the HPPCL.

The family members alleged that three people, including HPPCL Managing Director Harikesh Meena and Desh Raj, pressured Negi to “do wrong” due to which the latter was under acute tension, leading him to take his life.

The top court, while granting anticipatory bail to Desh Raj, questioned the stand of the CBI, which claimed the accused did not cooperate with the investigation, and denied the allegations levelled against him.