Himachal Pradesh High Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of former Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited Director (Electrical) Desh Raj in the alleged suicide case of a chief engineer.

Desh Raj is one of the accused in the alleged abetment to suicide of HPPCL Chief Engineer Vimal Negi, who had gone missing on March 10 and his body was recovered in the Govind Sagar Lake, Bilaspur on March 18.

Advertisement

The applicant had filed an anticipatory bail petition in the high court under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS) to direct the police to release him on bail in the event of his arrest in the FIR no. 9 of 2025 dated March 19 at Police Station, New Shimla under Sections 108 and 3 (5) of the BNS.

The FIR had been lodged by deceased Negi’s wife, Kiran Negi alleging that her husband had been subjected to severe mental harassment, misbehaviour, and work pressure by the superior officers of HPPCL including Desh Raj an Managing Director that led to his suicide.

The court, noting the seriousness of the case and the influential position held by Des Raj, raised concern of tampering with the witnesses, destruction or disappearance of incriminating evidence and obstruction in the on-going investigation, which cannot be brushed aside at this stage.

The police filed the status report on March 22, disclosing that the FIR in issue has been registered, the case was in initial stages and a number of material witnesses are yet to be examined.

It has been apprehended that the applicant being an influential person can hamper the investigation.

As per the case of the police, the statements of material witnesses, recorded so far, have unequivocally pointed out towards the involvement of the applicant, in the commission of the alleged offences, observed the Court.

In the status report filed on March 24 by the police, it has been pleaded that in order to ensure a speedy and thorough investigation, SIT has been constituted and it has searched the office of the deceased in HPPCL premises.

Voluminous records, pertaining to the various projects, handled by the deceased are stated to have been seized and taken into possession and the said record requires detailed analysis, due to their extensive nature states the police status report.

The court observed that it has been mentioned in the status report that the statements of the witnesses have been recorded, under Section 180 of the BNSS, which prima facie, corroborate the allegations of mental harassment and overwork imposed on the deceased.

The biometric attendance records of the deceased and other HPPCL officials seized and analysed by police confirm that the deceased was compelled to remain in office until midnight and work over ten hours daily. This is also stated to have been corroborated by the statements of the deceased’s subordinates, indicating coercion by superior officers.

The police made a prayer to dismiss the bail application, and similar arguments have been made by the counsel appearing for the complainant.