Don't file chargesheet without our permission, HC tells police
Shimla, May 21 -- The Himachal Pradesh high court on Tuesday directed the police not to file chargehseet in the case pertaining to the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) chief engineer-cum-general manager Vimal Negi without "leave" of court.
The bench of justice Ajay Mohan Goel, during resumed hearing of the petition seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Negi's death filed by his wife Kiran Negi, said, "It is clarified that challan shall not be filed by police without the leave of the court".
This essentially means the special investigation team (SIT) will have to seek permission from the court before filing the chargesheet.
The state placed on record the final inquiry report submitted by additional chief secretary (home) Onkar Sharma. However, the report has not been made public.
Advocate general Anup Rattan had objected to sharing the report with petitioner at this stage, arguing that it is still pending consideration by the government. The court will hear arguments in this regard on Wednesday.
Last month, ACS Sharma had submitted a 66-page report to the power secretary and chief minister's office, following investigations into the circumstances leading to Negi's death. However, neither the report was made public, nor its findings shared with Negi's family.
AG Rattan said, "We have nothing to hide and fair investigations are being done."
Negi's family members alleged that the state has deliberately withheld the contents of the report. According to them, the state government is maintaining "utmost secrecy" in the matter, and they were even denied access to findings even after seeking them under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Kiran had moved the high court demanding a CBI investigation, citing "serious lapses and lack of progress" in the police probe. The petition said that despite the grave nature of allegations, police were treating the matter as "routine suicide case and failing to investigate the role of those in power". Negi's body was recovered from Bhakra Dam in Bilaspur on March 18, eight days after he was reported missing. His family alleged Negi was under "immense mental stress" and was being "harassed" by HPPCL senior officials.
Police registered a case on charges of abetment to suicide on March 22. In her complaint, Kiran accused top HPPCL officials, including director (electrical) Desh Raj, the corporation's managing director, of mental harassment and mistreatment....
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