Guwahati: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a fresh Vigilance inquiry into allegations concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure as the state’s Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary.
The decision followed a petition submitted by Congress leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal, seeking renewed scrutiny of allegations surrounding a road development project and an earlier Vigilance inquiry.
The matter dates back to the death of Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who died by suicide in Kuala Lumpur in November 2006 after returning from Kerala. Lee was associated with the PATI-BEL consortium, which was involved in upgrading MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).
According to the allegations, a purported suicide note left by Lee named Kumar, who was serving as PWD Secretary at the time. The circumstances surrounding the reported reference and its relevance to the allegations remain subject to investigation.
The case also involves claims of irregularities connected with the project and allegations that the preliminary Vigilance inquiry conducted in 2006 was influenced by external pressure.
Following Venugopal’s petition, the state Home Department has sought records and files relating to the earlier inquiry conducted by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).
The documents will be examined to determine how the earlier proceedings were handled and whether any external influence affected the course of the inquiry.
According to the Home Minister’s Office, Chennithala has directed the Vigilance Director to conduct a detailed investigation into the allegations of interference and take appropriate action based on the findings.
The renewed inquiry will examine the circumstances surrounding the original preliminary investigation, the handling of the allegations and the claims that the process was allegedly disrupted.
Lee had worked with the consortium responsible for upgrading MC Road, a key component of the Kerala State Transport Project. His death later became linked to allegations concerning the administration and implementation of the road improvement project.
The fresh inquiry does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing by Kumar. The reported reference to him in the purported suicide note and the allegations of interference will now be subject to further scrutiny.
The next course of action will depend on the findings of the Vigilance investigation, with the government first seeking to review the earlier records and determine whether the original proceedings were compromised.