According to PTI, Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a preliminary Vigilance probe into corruption allegations related to a KSTP road project and the death of a Malaysian civil engineer associated with the work in 2006, when incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was serving as the state’s PWD secretary.
The development comes days after that the Keralam Home Department had summoned files related to the preliminary Vigilance inquiry conducted against Kumar in 2006.
News agency PTI, citing sources, reported that Chennithala ordered the probe after KPCC leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal filed a complaint on Saturday seeking an investigation against Kumar.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has been directed to conduct a preliminary inquiry before any further action is considered against Kumar, the sources told PTI.
The case concerns the suicide of Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who was associated with the PATI-BEL consortium involved in upgrading the MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).
As TNIE reported earlier, Lee's suicide in 2006 triggered a Vigilance inquiry after his suicide note allegedly named Kumar and raised allegations of corruption, mismanagement and harassment by PWD officials. The inquiry was subsequently stalled. Kumar subsequently moved to the Defence Ministry on deputation.
The development comes amid protests by the Congress and other opposition parties against Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken across India.
Kumar, a Kerala-cadre IAS officer, had served in various departments in the state before moving to central ministries.
