'Absolutely Bogus Officers': SC Comes Down Hard On CBI Officials Probing Vimal Negi Death Case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and expressed its discontent with some of its officials who are currently investigating the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) officer Vimal Negi.

After the matter came up for hearing before a bench comprising justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra, the bench termed the officials probing the case as "absolutely bogus officers, who are not fit to be in service". The bench was hearing a plea filed by a person named Desh Raj seeking anticipatory bail.

The bench orally observed, "Who is the investigator putting questions? This is childish….".

The bench criticised saying, if the officer is a senior officer, then it reflects poorly on the central agency. "A question like 'you transferred him because of this' - is this the question you are putting to the accused?," asked the bench.

The bench further observed, "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."

"You say this is non-cooperation? What type of officers do you have in the CBI? Absolutely bogus officers," observed the bench.

The bench said these officers are not fit to be in service. "All surmises, nothing concrete that says look here - this is the evidence," the bench observed orally.

The case pertains to allegations that Desh Raj, director (electrical), Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited, along with other senior officials mentally tortured the deceased Vimal Negi, who was also an officer in the HPPCL.

Negi's family members had alleged that three people, including HPPCL Managing Director Harikesh Meena and Desh Raj, pressured him to "do wrong" owing to which the latter was under acute tension, leading him to take his life.

While granting anticipatory bail to Desh Raj, the apex court questioned the stand of the CBI. The central agency had claimed that the accused did not cooperate with the investigation, and denied the allegations levelled against him.

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