Chief Election Commissioner Faces Reopened 20-Year-Old Probe
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has landed in a fresh administrative controversy as the Kerala government has officially reopened a two-decade-old corruption case. State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a comprehensive vigilance inquiry into allegations dating back to 2006, when Kumar served as the Secretary of the Public Works Department (PWD) in Kerala.
The renewed scrutiny comes in the wake of a fresh complaint filed by Malayankizhu Venugopal, alleging serious financial irregularities and criminal misconduct during the allotment of road construction contracts under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).
The 2006 KSTP Contract Controversies and Alleged Pressure
According to the complainant, the irregularities took place during Kumar's tenure as PWD Secretary. It has been alleged that initial inquiries initiated back in 2006 were abruptly closed without any logical conclusion due to heavy political and administrative pressure. The state home department has now requested all files related to the previous preliminary investigation.
The case is not merely financial; it is closely tied to the tragic death of a foreign national who was associated with the infrastructure projects executed during that period.
The Mysterious Suicide of Malaysian Civil Engineer
The controversy gained international attention due to the death of Lee See Been, a Malaysian civil engineer and main project manager for the 'PATI-BEL' consortium. The consortium was involved in upgrading the MC Road under KSTP. In 2006, Lee See Been committed suicide in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Reports from that era highlighted that the engineer's suicide note allegedly named top PWD officials, including the then-secretary, accusing them of severe corruption, bribery, and mental harassment.
Vigilance Directorate Directed to Examine All Angles
The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has been instructed to thoroughly investigate the old allegations, the circumstances surrounding the engineer's death, and the external influences that allegedly stalled the earlier probe. As political reactions mount across national platforms, all eyes remain on the upcoming findings of the state vigilance investigation.
