BJP's candle march in Himachal demanding CBI inquiry into chief engineer's death

Nahan (HP), Apr 2 (PTI) BJP workers took out a candle march in Paonta Sahib late on Wednesday evening to press their demand for a CBI inquiry into the death of Chief Engineer of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) Vimal Negi.
     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.
     The march, led by Himachal Pradesh BJP president Rajiv Bindal, included party workers from all the five assembly constituencies of Sirmour district.
     Raising slogans against the state government and demanding a CBI inquiry into the death of Vimal Negi, the protest march started from the PWD Rest House and went up to the Valmiki Chowk, through the main bazaar of Paonta Sahib.
     Negi's wife alleged that her husband was tortured by the superior officers for the past six months and seniors also misbehaved with him. Negi was intentionally forced to work late at night even during illness, she said.
     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.
     Addressing the workers, Bindal said the state government was not ready to listen to the voice of common people and that is why people of different sections of the society were on the roads against the state government in every district.
     Bindal alleged that the death of Negi under suspicious circumstances was shrouded with several serious questions which needed to be answered and it was surprising that the state government was reluctant to order a CBI inquiry even though the family of the deceased chief engineer is demanding it.
     "If government has nothing to hide then what is the problem in accepting the demand of the family of Negi," Bindal asked.
     He said the candle march was a part of "public awareness campaign" launched by the BJP in the state to make people aware of the misdeeds and mishandling of such sensitive issues by the state government.
     He made it clear that inquiry by any state agency cannot give justice in this matter.
     Former minister and BJP MLA from Poanta Sahib Sukhram Chaudhary said Negi was an honest officer and alleged that he was harassed for making financial favours to a particular company. He asked the government to explain why a CBI inquiry was not being ordered.

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