Vigilance to probe corruption allegations during Gyanesh Kumar's stint as Kerala PWD Secretary

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday ordered a probe into corruption allegations against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar dating back to his tenure as PWD Secretary in the state.

The move followed a complaint submitted by Congress leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal to the Home Minister, as the corruption allegations surrounding the World Bank-funded Kerala State Transport Project resurfaced, linking Kumar to the suicide of Malaysian contractor Lee Been Seen. Chennithala recalled that Kumar had been named in Lee's suicide note, according to media reports.

"I found that there is substance in the complaint after examining it," the Home Minister told the media on Sunday morning.

Chennithala said he discussed the matter with Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Saturday and directed Vigilance Director Manoj Abraham to launch a detailed investigation into the allegations and take necessary legal action.

"It's a case that was brushed aside after the Achuthanandan government came to power. Hence, it is very serious. That is why I ordered the Vigilance probe," he told the media.

He noted that a Vigilance probe had been ordered at the time but was discontinued after a change in government, following which Kumar was transferred out of Kerala.

However, then Finance Minister Thomas Isaac and Sibi Mathews, who was the Vigilance ADGP at the time, both raised questions about how Kumar managed to obtain clearance from the state government for deputation while he was facing a Vigilance probe.

Jacob Punnose, who had served as ADGP (Intelligence), said the police had not come across the letter. "There were legal restraints that prevented the Kerala Police from accessing the note. Besides, the Malaysian police did not reach out to us as part of the probe," Punnose said.

Sindhu Suryakumar, a senior journalist and wife of late Malayala Manorama reporter G Vinod, who conducted an exhaustive investigative series on Lee's suicide, said the contractor's family members had shared distressing accounts of corruption involving certain officials and had planned to pursue legal action.

Chennithala also clarified that since the allegations relate to Kumar's tenure as PWD secretary in 2006, he would not be entitled to any protections granted to the CEC.

The move comes as opposition parties are demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over his alleged autocratic practices in implementing the Special Intensive Revision, which they claim were aimed at favouring the BJP. Allegations of his links to the party gained further traction after former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson told Onmanorama that Kumar had offered him a BJP candidature.