Supreme Court Slams CBI Over Vimal Negi Death Probe, Calls Investigators “Completely Fake Officers”

The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a scathing assessment of the CBI, questioning the competence of several officers investigating the death of HPPCL official Vimal Negi and describing them as “completely fake officers” who were unfit to remain in service.

A Bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra was hearing a petition filed by Desh Raj, an officer of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), who sought anticipatory bail.

“Who is this investigator asking such questions? It is childish,” the Bench remarked. “If he is a senior officer, it reflects very poorly on the CBI. Asking a question like, ‘Is this why you were transferred?’—is this what you expect to ask an accused?”

The court said no meaningful answer could be expected from such questioning.
“If I ask an accused whether he committed an act, he will obviously deny it. Is that non-cooperation? Remaining silent is a constitutional right,” the Bench observed.

“You call this non-cooperation? What kind of officers does the CBI have? Completely fake officers—unfit for service. This kind of worthless paperwork leads nowhere. It is all conjecture, with nothing concrete to say, ‘Here is the evidence,’” the judges added.

The case involves allegations that HPPCL Director (Electrical) Desh Raj, along with two other senior officials, mentally harassed Vimal Negi, who also served as an officer in the corporation.

Negi’s family has alleged that HPPCL’s Managing Director Harikesh Meena, along with Desh Raj and another officer, pressured him to engage in “wrongful acts,” leading to severe stress that pushed him to take his own life.

While granting anticipatory bail to Desh Raj, the Supreme Court also questioned the CBI’s claim that the accused was not cooperating with the investigation simply because he denied the allegations.