Kerala orders fresh vigilance probe into 2006 case linked to Gyanesh Kumar
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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has ordered a fresh Vigilance inquiry into allegations linked to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure as Public Works Department Secretary, following a petition by Congress leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has directed the Vigilance Director to conduct a detailed inquiry into allegations that external pressure interfered with a preliminary Vigilance investigation conducted in 2006.
The case relates to Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who died by suicide in Kuala Lumpur in November 2006 after returning from Kerala. Lee was associated with the PATI-BEL consortium involved in upgrading MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).
A purported suicide note reportedly mentioned Kumar, who was serving as PWD Secretary at the time. The matter concerns alleged irregularities related to the project and claims that the preliminary Vigilance inquiry was derailed by external influence.
The Home Department has sought all relevant files connected to the earlier inquiry conducted by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). The records will be examined to determine how the proceedings were handled and whether any outside influence affected their course.
The Home Minister’s Office said Chennithala had instructed the Vigilance Director to investigate the allegations of interference and take appropriate action based on the findings.
The reported reference to Kumar in the purported suicide note remains subject to investigation. Neither the reference nor the fresh inquiry establishes any wrongdoing by him.
Further action will depend on the Vigilance findings.
With IANS inputs