Shimla’s Superintendent of Police, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, Saturday levelled several serious allegations against Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Atul Verma, accusing him of abuse of power, obstructing investigation in several cases, and filing a misleading status report in the high court questioning the SIT probe into the Vimal Negi death case due to ulterior motives.
“We had carried out the investigation (Negi’s death case) with full honesty and integrity and the status report and affidavit presented by the DGP in the court was very irresponsible and it has happened as senior police officers posted in the police headquarters hold a grudge against me,” the SP said.
DGP Atul Verma refused to comment saying, “I am not interested to say anything on this”.
Gandhi’s remarks came a day after the into Negi’s death to the CBI. In its order, HC had noted that the DGP has raised “grave concerns about the mode and manner in which the investigation is being carried out”.
Gandhi told reporters that it came “to notice that a member of the personal staff of the DGP had links with Sanjay Bhuria gang” allegedly involved in the drug trade.
He also said a false report was submitted “at the behest of DGP Verma” in the Vinay Aggarwal case. Aggarwal was booked for allegedly carrying out extortion in ’s industrial areas.
Gandhi said the “involvement of DGP’s personal staff have also been found in leaking of a confidential document report from the CID following which an FIR was registered in the case, and I have no hesitation in saying that pressure was built to obstruct the investigation on several occasions”.
Gandhi headed the SIT probing the death of Negi, who was a chief engineer with Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL).
The case stirred a political storm, with the opposition alleging a cover-up. Gandhi said he would prefer to resign than tolerate such insults, and vowed to present facts and documents in court to “expose” the DGP’s alleged “ulterior motives”.
