Gyanesh Kumar faces fresh Kerala vigilance probe over PWD tenure, Malaysian engineer’s suicide

A vigilance investigation into alleged corruption during the tenure of present Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as Secretary of Kerala’s Public Works Department (PWD), including the suicide of a Malaysian engineer associated with a major Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) contract, will be initiated following an order by Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.

It was a complaint by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) member Malayinkeezhu Venugopal that alleged the closure of several previous vigilance inquiries into Kumar’s conduct during his tenure as PWD Secretary in 2006 without proper investigation. Having examined the complaint, Home Minister Chennithala discussed the matter with Chief Minister VD Satheesan before directing Vigilance Director Manoj Abraham to conduct a detailed inquiry.

Kumar was PWD Secretary when a World Bank-funded project, worth around Rs 215 crore, was being implemented to upgrade the MC Road between Angamaly and Thiruvananthapuram. The project was undertaken by a Malaysian company, and its chief project manager, 58-year-old Lee See Ben, allegedly raised several concerns before leaving for Malaysia, where he later died by suicide.

According to Venugopal’s complaint, Lee left two suicide notes in November 2006, one addressed to his wife and the other to a director of the company. The complaint alleges that Lee accused Kumar of subjecting him to severe stress and harassment, while also claiming that government bills amounting to around Rs 12–13 crore had been withheld, thereby creating financial pressure on the company.

The complaint further alleges that the withholding of the bills was connected with a demand for illegal gratification, although these allegations have not been independently established. Earlier, an RTI response obtained by TNM stated that a vigilance inquiry into the allegations had been closed after no irregularities were found.

Chennithala, however, said the allegations contained in the suicide notes had previously been examined by the Vigilance Department, but the inquiry was subsequently stopped. He argued that the latest complaint warranted a fresh and detailed examination of the circumstances surrounding Lee’s death and the wider allegations concerning the KSTP project.

He also maintained that Kumar’s present constitutional position as Chief Election Commissioner would not prevent an inquiry into alleged actions dating back to his tenure as PWD Secretary.