Himachal HC rejects bail plea of HPPCL director in death of chief engineer

Shimla, Mar 26 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) director (electrical) who has been booked for abetment to suicide after the death of the corporation's chief engineer.
     HPPCL's Chief Engineer Vimal Negi went missing on March 10 and his body was found in Bilaspur on March 18. The relatives of the deceased sat on a dharna outside the HPPCL office in Shimla with the body the next day.
     Negi's wife alleged that it was "not suicide but murder" and said her husband was pressured, denied holidays and harassed by seniors even though he was unwell.
     A case of abetment to suicide and joint criminal liability under BNS was registered on Wednesday against HPPCL Director (Electrical) Desh Raj and Managing Director (MD) Harikesh Meena.
     Desh Raj was suspended while Harikesh Meena was transferred.
     The bail plea of Desh Raj who was named in the FIR filed by the family members of the deceased chief engineer was rejected by the single bench of Justice Virender Singh.
     Desh Raj, in a bail application filed on March 21, had stated that his name was mentioned in the FIR filed by deceased Vimal Negi's wife Kiran Negi. But he was not present in the office at the time of Vimal Negi's suicide, he said.
     He also questioned the credibility of the FIR and said Kiran Negi had no direct knowledge of the official affairs.
     The prosecution argued that the investigation of the case was still in the preliminary stage in which police had collected some crucial evidence along with the CCTV footage.
     Several people had mentally harassed Vimal Negi over some financial dealings due to which his mental health had deteriorated and he was seen in a disturbed condition in his office before his death, the prosecution added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)