Keralam Orders Vigilance Probe Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over 2006 Engineer Death

The ruling UDF and opposition LDF in Keralam have welcomed the Vigilance probe ordered into allegations linked to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure as PWD secretary in 2006, including the death by suicide of Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been.

Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to conduct a preliminary inquiry following a complaint by Congress leader Malayankeezhu Venugopal. The complaint seeks a probe into alleged irregularities and criminal misconduct in the awarding of public works contracts during Kumar’s tenure, as well as the circumstances surrounding Been’s death.

The case dates back to the Rs 215-crore World Bank-funded Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), under which the 240-km MC Road connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Angamaly was upgraded. The work was undertaken by PATI-BEL, an Indo-Malaysian joint venture involving a Malaysian company and Bhageeratha Engineering.

Been was the chief project manager associated with PATI-BEL. He had reportedly raised complaints during the project before returning to Malaysia, where he died by suicide in 2006. His purported suicide note reportedly mentioned Kumar, who was then the state PWD secretary, and contained allegations relating to corruption, harassment and difficulties in clearing project payments.

A Vigilance inquiry was ordered after Been’s death in 2006, but the investigation did not proceed to a conclusion. Kumar subsequently moved to the Centre on deputation. The Keralam Home Department has now sought files connected to the earlier inquiry after allegations that the original probe was deliberately derailed or influenced by external pressure.

Chennithala has instructed the Vigilance director to examine the allegations of external influence and take appropriate action based on the findings. He has maintained that the decision is not an act of political vendetta, arguing that the government cannot ignore allegations surrounding a reported suicide note and a cognisable offence.

IUML leader M K Muneer, who was PWD minister when Kumar served as secretary, welcomed the investigation and called for a comprehensive probe into Been’s death and the contents of the reported suicide note.

Muneer also said corruption cases previously brought against him during the LDF government were politically motivated and had been dismissed by the Vigilance Court. He said he was prepared to face another inquiry if those matters were reopened.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan also welcomed the move and said all cases involving Kumar in Keralam should be examined and appropriate action taken wherever warranted. He alleged that Kumar had recently taken positions favourable to the BJP-led Centre, a claim that is his political assessment.