The Home Department has sought the files connected to that 2006 inquiry. Screengrab: ANI
Keralam Home Minister orders Vigilance probe into 2006 case linked to Gyanesh Kumar
Chennithala directs a fresh vigilance inquiry into allegations surrounding Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure as PWD secretary and the death of Malaysian engineer Lee See Been
Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday (October 4) ordered a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) probe into alleged irregularities linked to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure as the state’s Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary in 2006.
The inquiry relates to the alleged suicide of Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who was associated with the PATI-BEL consortium working on the upgrade of MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), reported ANI.
Probe seeks records from 2006 inquiry
Kumar was the PWD Secretary when the engineer died. His “suicide note” had reportedly mentioned Kumar, while allegations have now been raised that an earlier VACB preliminary inquiry into the case was affected by outside pressure.
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The Home Department has sought the files connected to that 2006 inquiry, according to the Home Minister’s Office.
Chennithala has asked the Vigilance Director to examine the allegations of external influence and take action based on the findings. The Home Minister said the claims were serious enough to require a detailed inquiry.
Move comes amid opposition demands
The development comes as opposition parties continue to demand Kumar’s resignation amid a wider dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission.
The Indian Express had earlier reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months concerning decisions related to electoral rolls, voter registration and technology systems.
Election Commission rejects dissent claims
The reported objections included issues involving Form 6 applications, deletion of voters and access to central electoral-roll databases.
The Election Commission later rejected claims of institutional dissent. It said administrative questions, operational inputs and suggestions made during the drafting process were part of normal procedure.
Also Read: CJP’s Dipke demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, warns of countrywide protests
The poll panel also said decisions on the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were taken unanimously.
The latest probe comes as the INDIA bloc steps up its campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner. Opposition parties have announced protests across the country, including a demonstration on October 6 and a major rally in New Delhi on November 1.