Vimal Negi Death Case: ASI Suspended for Hiding Pen Drive, Himachal High Court Orders CBI Probe

Shimla, May 23:
The mysterious death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation’s Chief Engineer, Vimal Negi, has taken a more serious turn. In a significant development, Shimla Police has suspended ASI Pankaj for allegedly attempting to conceal a pen drive recovered from Negi’s body. The department has also initiated an internal inquiry against him.

Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi confirmed the suspension, stating it was based on negligence in the officer’s conduct during the investigation.

Earlier, on May 21, a report submitted by the Director General of Police (DGP) to the Himachal High Court raised critical concerns over the investigation led by the Shimla Police. The report alleged that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appeared to be steering the case toward a suicide conclusion—despite the presence of technical evidence and contents of the recovered pen drive, which do not support that theory.

The DGP’s report further noted that only a limited set of documents related to the Pekhubela Project in Una district were found on the pen drive, raising further suspicions.

Meanwhile, SP Shimla argued in court that since Vimal Negi’s body was recovered from the Gobind Sagar Lake in Bilaspur district, the initial jurisdiction lay outside Shimla Police’s authority. The post-mortem was also conducted in Bilaspur, which limited Shimla Police’s early involvement in the case.

To recap, Vimal Negi mysteriously went missing from Shimla on March 10. His body was found a week later, on March 18, in Gobind Sagar Lake. A pen drive recovered near the body, which is now at the center of the investigation, was allegedly hidden—prompting serious questions.

The case took a dramatic turn today when the Himachal Pradesh High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the death, following a petition filed by Vimal Negi’s wife. The court’s decision marks a significant shift in the probe, elevating it to the national level.