'Bogus Officers, Incompetent' : Supreme Court Tears Into CBI Investigation In Vimal Negi Death Case

The Supreme Court today(November 17) made certain oral scathing remarks against the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI), questioning the competence of some of its officers to lead the investigation properly.The Court questioned the stand of the CBI team in claiming that the accused did not cooperate with the investigation, when he was only trying to deny the allegations made against him. These oral remarks were made by a bench comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra while hearing a case for anticipatory bail by accused Desh Raj. He was denied anticipatory bail by the Himachal Pradesh High Court.Commenting on the investigation, Justice Amanullah said: "This is childish! Who is the investigator who is 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?".Addressing Additional Solicitor General SD Sanjay, Justice Amanullah asked: "And what answers do you expect from him, Mr Sanjay? 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, [is he non-cooperating]? The right to remain silent is a constitutional right. 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 look here-this is the evidence!"The allegations against him are that he, as the senior officer of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited(HPPCL), along with other senior officials, mentally tortured the deceased Vimal Negi, who was also an officer at the HPPCL. The complaint was filed by the deceased's wife, alleging that because officers intentionally forced her husband to work late at night and even, in case of illness, the leave was not sanctioned, he was forced to commit suicide. The body of the deceased was found in the Bhakra Dam, Bilaspur. A First Information Report under Sections 108 and 3 (5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, was registered.When the matter reached the Supreme Court, he was granted interim protection by an order dated April 4. By this time, the High Court had transferred the investigation to the CBI. On September 25, the Court directed the petitioner to appear before the CBI for investigation and passed a few other directions in this regard. Pursuant to this, Dave today submitted that the petitioner was interrogated for 3 hours, but nothing was asked of him about the abetment to suicide related allegations. At the outset, Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave submitted: "I had gone pursuant to your lordship's order. I was interrogated for three hours every relating to projects was asked. Nothing related to abetment to suicide was asked."ASG Sanjay (for the CBI) shared a report in a sealed cover with the report. On this, Justice Amanullah said: "Mr Sanjay, no sympathy for this type of fact, if at all, but there is an extent to which you can allege. A person being very strict as a boss, making you do even with regard to trying to exert pressure or harass you, will be a ground [to allege suicide? You had this angle that he was forcing you to do something. The deceased succumbed to it first. That bothers us."The ASG responded: "When the body was found, a pen drive was taken out by the sub inspector and thereafter, it was destroyed."On this, Justice Amanullah asked how the CBI went to the extent of presuming that the petitioner abetted the deceased's suicide. Perusing the sealed report, the Court told ASG: "The only allegation is very vague." He added that whatever questions were put to the petitioner by the CBI were more in the form of accusations, and when he did not respond to it in a manner expected, the CBI claims that he is not cooperating with the investigation. CBI officers incompetent: Court lashes outJustice Amanullah said : "Just because high names are there in the CBI, we are not going to act different. We will comment that CBI is exposed before us in this case. Normal district police will do better. No, we will write an order. I don't shy away from writing such orders. Will comment on your officers, how incompetent!. Who is the IO there? Thorough incompetence."Justice Amanullah also called for the CBI officer and spoke to him. He asked him: "Are you playing politics or what? Just because you are CBI, do you have to always prove it otherwise? Is this the neutral role of a person, of CBI? It speaks volume against you. You should be dismissed from service. Playing politics! Not even one paragraph of evidence. It is childish. Show me one paragraph, its a challenge. Just surmises...all these bane statements and you want to convict a person? Give me your name, he should not be assigned any work. This raises our...

'Bogus Officers, Incompetent' : Supreme Court Tears Into CBI Investigation In Vimal Negi Death Case

Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

"All institutions demolished...Nothing independent remaining," Justice Amanullah lamented.

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