Vimal Negi Death Mystery
SC Seeks CBI, Complainant to Be Made Parties in Vimal Negi Case, Directs Petitioner to Cooperate in Probe
New Delhi, July 22 — The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that both the CBI and the original complainant be made parties in the ongoing special leave petition filed in the controversial Vimal Negi custodial death case, in which Desh Raj is the petitioner challenging the Himachal Pradesh High Court order.
The matter, listed before a Bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice S.V.N. Bhatti, came up for hearing on July 22. Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, assisted by counsels Parantap Singh and Rohan Trivedi, appeared for Desh Raj.
On the respondent side, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.D. Sanjay appeared for the State of Himachal Pradesh, along with advocate Divyam Aggarwal. Rana Ranjit Singh appeared for the complainant, while Ms. Sugandha Anand and others represented the CBI.
“In the larger interest of justice, we feel that the CBI as well as the complainant should also be made parties,” the bench observed. Since both the CBI and complainant’s counsel were already present, the court said no formal notice was needed to be served.
The court gave the petitioner one week’s time to file a corrected memo of parties, and allowed the respondents, particularly the newly added ones, to file their counter affidavits.
The next hearing has been scheduled for August 21, 2025. Meanwhile, the court clarified that Desh Raj must fully cooperate with the ongoing CBI probe during the interim period.
The case pertains to the alleged custodial death of Vimal Negi, which has triggered widespread public outcry in Himachal Pradesh, leading to the case being handed over to the CBI.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing a challenge to the High Court’s earlier order passed on March 26, 2025.
Des Raj, who was serving as Director (Civil) in HPPCL, has been under suspension since May following mounting pressure and questions over his alleged role in the case.
Vimal Negi was found dead under mysterious circumstances on March 18 in Bhakra Dam this year, and allegations of foul play surfaced soon after, prompting public outrage and demands for a high-level probe.
His wife has persistently alleged that Vimal was being pressured at the workplace and that senior officials, including Des Raj, and H Meena allegedly have a role in his death.
With the CBI now at the helm, and the Supreme Court closely monitoring the case, the heat is on Des Raj, who has now been told in no uncertain terms — cooperate or face consequences, on Meena and top officials who worked in HPPCL.
The developments have once again turned the spotlight on the inner workings and pressure politics within HPPCL, raising serious questions about accountability, workplace harassment, and the fate of whistleblowers in government-run corporations.
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