Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) investigation into allegations linked to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure as the state’s Public Works Department secretary in 2006.
The probe comes after a complaint was filed by Congress leader Venugopal, a KPCC executive committee member, Malayinkeezhu. In the case, alleged irregularities in the upgradation of MC Road in the Kerala State Transportation Project (KSTP) was being done by the PATI-BEL consortium.
Kumar was the secretary of the PWD during the course of the project. The incident also includes the suicide-related death of a Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who was involved in the project. Kumar was reportedly brought up in a report of a suicide note written by Been. So far, nothing is proved against Kumar and the new investigation is meant to investigate the allegations and records.
The Home Department said that a preliminary Vigilance enquiry was conducted in 2006, but it was not able to go further. Later that year Kumar joined Delhi on central deputation. The state government has now sought the files and records of the previous investigation as part of the fresh investigation.
Chennithala has asked the Vigilance Director to investigate if the earlier inquiry was influenced or derailed by “any external pressure” or not. The department has a commitment to pursuing further action as a result of the findings.
Venugopal has claimed the road work was delayed multiple times and the consortium had raised concerns on pending payments and the project related matters. He has also claimed that Been was pressured during the time during his life preceding his death.
The reinstated investigation follows a broader political controversy against Kumar with regard to the Electoral Commission’s conduct in the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls. The ongoing electoral-roll controversy, however, does not form part of this vigialance inquiry, but merely addresses allegations made in relation to the KSTP project that was being undertaken during 2006.
Records from the previous investigation and complaints in the current complaint will be considered before deciding on further action.