Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a Vigilance investigation into allegations of irregularities linked to the tenure of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as Secretary of the state Public Works Department (PWD).
The matter also concerns the 2006 death by suicide of Lee See Been, a Malaysian civil engineer associated with the Indo-Malaysian joint venture PATI-BEL. The consortium was involved in upgrading the 240-km MC Road between Thiruvananthapuram and Angamaly under the Kerala State Transport Project.
Suicide note mentioned Kumar
According to the Home Minister, Been, who served as the chief project manager of PATI-BEL, left behind a note that allegedly mentioned Gyanesh Kumar, who was serving in the Kerala PWD at the time.
The fresh investigation follows a complaint filed by Congress leader Malayankeezhu Venugopal, who alleged that the original inquiry into the matter had been improperly halted.
Chennithala has directed the Director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to conduct a detailed investigation and take appropriate action based on its findings.
Allegations of irregularities
The complaint includes allegations of corruption and alleged irregularities in the awarding of public works contracts during Kumar’s tenure as PWD Secretary.
According to the complainant, earlier Vigilance inquiries into the allegations were closed without completing the investigation. A Vigilance probe had reportedly been ordered following Been’s death in 2006, but the investigation did not progress further.
Kumar subsequently moved to the Defence Ministry on deputation, according to reports cited in connection with the case.
Chennithala rejects political vendetta claim
Chennithala said the government could not ignore the allegations and that it was his responsibility as Home Minister to ensure that claims involving a potentially cognisable offence were examined.
He maintained that the fresh Vigilance inquiry was separate from the ongoing political dispute surrounding Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The minister said the authorities would examine the available evidence and determine whether further action was warranted.
The Vigilance investigation will now look into the allegations surrounding the PWD contracts, the earlier inquiry and the circumstances surrounding the Malaysian engineer’s death. The allegations against Kumar have not been established, and the outcome of the investigation will determine whether any further legal action is required.