ACS inquiry report in Vimal Negi death case alleges several irregularities in HPPCL

Shimla: Statements of HPPCL employees recorded in an inquiry report submitted by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Onkar Sharma in the Vimal Negi death case point to several alleged irregularities like harassment, threats and building pressure to give undue favour to a contractor.

The inquiry was ordered by the Congress government after the family of HPPCL chief engineer Negi held a protest demanding a CBI probe into his death and alleged that he was harassed by his seniors.

Sharma had submitted his report before Justice Ajay Mohan Goel in the Himachal Pradesh High Court after which it was made public. Negi's death case has since been taken over by the CBI at the direction of the court.

Statements of 20 witnesses including the family members of Negi and employees of Power Corporation as well as Harikesh Meena (Managing Director of stat-run HPPCL), Shivam Pratap Singh (director personal and Finance) and Deshraj (director Electrical currently under suspension) were recorded in the 66-page report which suggests further investigation by an expert agency.

The fact-finding inquiry by Sharma, who proceeded on leave on Tuesday evening, claimed that there was mental pressure not only on Negi, the Chief Engineer cum General Manager (Electrical) whose body was recovered from Bilaspur on March 18, but also on other staff members were made to work for 11 to 14 hours and the environment in the office was toxic.

Negi had gone missing on March 10 and his body was found on March 18 in Bilapsur district under mysterious circumstances.

His family members protested by placing the engineer's body outside the HPPCL office in Shimla on March 19 after which a case of abetment to suicide was registered and the ACS was asked to conduct an inquiry.

According to the recorded statement of Senior Manager (Electrical) Bipan Guleria, pressure was allegedly built on Negi by Meena and Deshraj to issue a completion certificate for Pekhubella Solar Power Project in Una district to the contractor concerned to release a 10 per cent payment.

According to the statement of senior manager (Electrical) Rajnish Katoch, Negi was pressured by Deshraj to raise the revenue projection of Pekhubella project from Rs 19 crore to 25 crore for the assembly question.

"Extension of time (EOT) committee was formed under Negi to look into the issue of delay analysis of the Pekhubella project and Deshraj directed Negi to review and minimise delay on the part of the contractor from 45 to 23 days," said DGM (electrical) Solar Power Project Anu, Manish Chaudhary, who was member secretary EOT.

"Deshraj pressured and threatened us (Negi and Manish Chaudhary) by saying 'Aap problem mein aa jaoge (You will land in trouble)'," he alleged. Moreover, the Power Purchase agreement (PPA) was also not signed before floating tenders of the project.

The report claimed evidence that Deshraj used to humiliate and use foul language. Despite being unwell, Negi was harassed, made to stand for long hours with file and issued show cause notice for availing 1-2 days casual leave, the report alleged.

Kiran Negi, wife of Vimal Negi, claimed that her husband was forced to chargesheet Bipin Guleria even when he was not convinced which made him frustrated. He was even made to release payment in the Pekhubella project illegally against the rules.

Bipin Guleria, who was also entrusted with field and related work at Pekhubella project, had raised objections on the fourth milestone payment to the contractor (firm).

However, Meena and Deshraj refuted the allegations.

Talking to the media persons on Monday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that he had asked the ACS (Home) to conduct a fact-finding inquiry into the allegations and when the report was submitted, he told the ACS to once again confront the officials against whom allegations were raised by HPPCL employees.

However, the ACS refused to re-examine the officers while replying to the state power secretary and said that cross-questioning or confrontation was appropriate only during a formal departmental inquiry.

He had submitted the report directly to the high court, bypassing the office of the Advocate General.