Shimla — In a significant development in the Vimal Negi death case, Shimla Police has suspended Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Pankaj for allegedly concealing a pen drive that was recovered from the body of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Chief Engineer. A departmental inquiry has also been initiated against him for this act of negligence.
The action comes after the Director General of Police (DGP) submitted a detailed affidavit in the Himachal Pradesh High Court on May 21, which raised concerns about the functioning of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by Shimla Police. The DGP pointed out that the SIT was prematurely treating the case as a suicide and had retrieved limited documents from the pen drive related to the Pekhubela hydro project in Una.
SP Shimla Sanjeev Gandhi confirmed the suspension and said, “The pen drive was a vital piece of evidence. ASI Pankaj’s failure to disclose it is a serious lapse. He has been suspended, and a departmental inquiry is underway.”
Appearing personally before the High Court, SP Gandhi stated that Vimal Negi’s body was recovered in Bilaspur and the post-mortem was conducted there. “As the death occurred outside Shimla district, the local police initially did not have jurisdiction to intervene,” he told the court.
Vimal Negi went missing from Shimla on April 10, and his body was recovered from the Gobind Sagar Lake in Bilaspur on April 18. The pen drive recovered from the scene is believed to contain important project-related files, potentially shedding light on the circumstances surrounding his death.
The case has drawn public attention and judicial scrutiny, especially over the alleged mishandling of evidence and early conclusions drawn by the SIT. With disciplinary action now taken against a police officer and the High Court monitoring the investigation closely, more accountability is expected in the days ahead.
