HPPCL Chief Engineer’s death; CBI team collects case documents from cops

A Himachal police officer said, “Some documents have been given to the CBI, and a detailed inventory is being made about all records to be handed over to the central agency.”

After the Himachal Pradesh High Court transferred the Vimal Negi death case probe to the central investigating agency on May 23, the CBI registered a case in New Delhi under sections 108 (abetment to suicide) and 3 (5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), officials earlier said.

However, according to sources, the CBI team had a tough time finding accommodation on Wednesday night.

“The CBI team first tried to book rooms at The Peterhof, a grand hotel managed by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), but failed because all rooms were occupied. The team then approached Willy Park, a circuit house maintained by the HPTDC, but received the same response. Finally, the team was accommodated at a state police facility in Chotta Shimla’s Nigam Vihar. The team is expected to stay here for quite a long time,” an official source said.

A senior officer of HPTDC said, “The CBI team visited our two facilities, but unfortunately rooms at both facilities were booked.
Since there was no prior intimation from the Himachal General Administration Department (GAD), which informs HPTDC about providing accommodation to government employees. In the absence of GAD’s intimation, we can’t provide accommodation.”

The HPTDC added, “In the absence of GAD’s intimation, we can provide them only paid facilities which cost a lot.”

Transferring the Vimal Negi death case probe from the Himachal government-constituted Special Investigation Team to the CBI, the high court had specified that no Himachal cadre police officer should be part of the central agency’s investigation.

As a result, an FIR was not registered in Shimla or Chandigarh, but in Delhi.