CBI makes first arrest in HPPCL chief engineer Vimal Negi death case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made a significant breakthrough in the Vimal Negi case, arresting suspended Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Pankaj Sharma for allegedly tampering with a pen drive recovered from the deceased former Chief Engineer of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL).

Sharma's arrest marks the first in this high-profile case, which was handed over to the CBI by the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

Vimal Negi, who went missing on March 18, 2025, was eventually found dead in Gobind Sagar Lake in Bilaspur, sparking widespread outrage and protests, particularly from his family and HPPCL employees. The family had alleged that Negi was murdered due to mental harassment by senior officials, leading to the registration of an FIR and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the state's police. However, dissatisfied with the SIT's probe, Negi's family demanded a CBI investigation, which was subsequently ordered by the High Court.

According to sources, a 10-member CBI team raided Sharma's house in Ghumarwin, Bilaspur district, and took him into custody. Sharma is accused of taking possession of the pen drive found with Negi's body without informing anyone and later tampering with and formatting it.

A local fisherman reportedly recorded Sharma discussing the pen drive on a phone call. Sharma had visited Bilaspur on the day Negi's body was discovered and was later suspended from duty.

The agency had previously summoned Sharma for interrogation multiple times.