A Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Shimla sent suspended Himachal Pradesh Police Assistant Sub-Inspector Pankaj Sharma to judicial custody till September 26 in connection with the suspicious death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited Chief Engineer Vimal Negi.
Sharma, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on September 14, is accused of tampering with crucial evidence—a pendrive belonging to Negi. Investigators allege he concealed the device and formatted its data to destroy possible leads in the case.
CBI Pushes For More Custody
During Tuesday’s hearing, the CBI argued that Sharma’s further custodial interrogation was necessary to confront him with key witnesses and electronic evidence suspected of manipulation.
However, Sharma’s defence counsel, Piyush Verma, opposed the plea. He reminded the court that the CBI had earlier told the Himachal Pradesh High Court in an affidavit that Sharma’s custodial interrogation was “not required.” Verma further contended that no new evidence had been presented to justify extending his custody.
Rejecting Sharma’s bail plea, the court instead ordered his judicial custody, marking a significant turn in the ongoing investigation.
Death Of Chief Engineer Vimal Negi
Vimal Negi, a senior engineer with HPPCL, went missing on March 10, 2025. His body was recovered eight days later, on March 18, under suspicious circumstances. The post-mortem revealed he had died about five days before being found, suggesting he may have been alive until March 13.
The Himachal Pradesh Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) came under fire for failing to account for Negi’s movements between March 10 and March 14, raising questions over possible lapses in the probe.
Amid growing concerns, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on May 23, 2025, transferred the case to the CBI, citing serious deficiencies in the police investigation.
The CBI’s arrest of ASI Pankaj Sharma on September 14 marked the first major breakthrough in the case, shifting the focus to alleged evidence tampering that may have hampered the search for the truth behind Negi’s death.
With Sharma now in judicial custody, the CBI is expected to intensify its investigation into what has become one of the most high-profile and mysterious cases in Himachal Pradesh this year.
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