The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a sharp critique of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), questioning the competence of officials probing the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) officer Vimal Negi.
The bench, comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra, did not mince words as it examined the agency’s handling of the case and the quality of its interrogation.
The court was hearing a plea filed by Desh Raj, director (Electrical) at HPPCL, who sought anticipatory bail.
During the hearing, the bench expressed dissatisfaction with the line of questioning adopted by the investigating officer. “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?”
The judges pointed out the futility of such questions. “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.”
The CBI had claimed that Desh Raj did not cooperate with the investigation.
The bench, however, pushed back strongly against that view: “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 allegations against Desh Raj stem from the death of Vimal Negi, an HPPCL officer whose family has accused senior officials of pressuring him to “do wrong,” leading to severe stress.
They alleged that three officials, HPPCL managing director Harikesh Meena, Desh Raj and another senior officer, mentally harassed Negi, resulting in his suicide.
Despite the emotional weight of the case, the court found little substance in the investigation presented before it. While granting anticipatory bail to Desh Raj, the bench questioned the CBI’s stand and the lack of concrete evidence to support its claim of non-cooperation.