Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday ordered a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) probe into allegations of irregularities linked to a 2006 Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) case involving Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The case relates to the alleged suicide of Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who was associated with the PATI-BEL consortium involved in the upgradation of the MC Road under the KSTP. Kumar was serving as the state’s Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary at the time. His name was reportedly mentioned in the engineer’s suicide note.
The fresh inquiry follows allegations that the preliminary Vigilance inquiry conducted in 2006 was affected by external pressure. The Home Department has sought the relevant records of the earlier inquiry, while Chennithala has directed the Vigilance Director to conduct a detailed investigation into the allegations and take appropriate action based on the findings.
The development comes amid protests by the Congress and other opposition parties against Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Gyanesh Kumar, a Kerala-cadre IAS officer, served in various positions in the state before moving to the Centre. The Vigilance inquiry will examine the allegations and the circumstances surrounding the handling of the 2006 case.
