Thiruvananthapuram: In a development that could have political ramifications, the Keralam Home Department has sought the files of a preliminary vigilance inquiry conducted against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar nearly two decades ago, when he was serving as the state’s works secretary.
The move comes at a time when the INDIA bloc has stepped up its campaign against Kumar over the Election Commission’s decision to undertake a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have questioned the exercise and accused the poll panel of acting in a politically biased manner.
The old inquiry was initiated after the suicide of Malaysian engineer Lee See Been in Kuala Lumpur in 2006. Lee had served as the chief project manager of PATI-BEL, an Indo-Malaysian consortium involved in the upgradation of the MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project.
Lee reportedly took the extreme step after facing difficulties in securing payment for bills related to the project., as reported by The New Indian Express. His suicide note allegedly mentioned Kumar, who was serving as the works secretary at the time. The note also referred to corruption and alleged that government officials had obstructed the release of payments.
The incident triggered a political controversy in Keralam and prompted the then LDF government to order a vigilance inquiry. Kumar, a 1988-batch Keralam-cadre IAS officer, was subsequently transferred from the Public Works Department before the end of 2006, according to reports.
The preliminary probe, however, apparently failed to progress beyond its initial stages. Sources said the investigation gradually lost momentum and that a substantial number of documents connected with the case could not be traced.
The Crime Branch had also reportedly examined the possibility of taking up the matter. But searches conducted at its office allegedly failed to locate the relevant records, sources said.
The Home Department’s decision to call for the old files is being viewed as an attempt to determine the status of the earlier inquiry and assess whether any further action is possible. It is not clear from the available reports whether the probe had resulted in a chargesheet or any prosecution against Kumar.
The development could create a political dilemma for the CPM, which was in government when the allegations first surfaced. The party is currently at the forefront of the opposition campaign against Kumar, with protests focused on his role in implementing the SIR exercise.
The latest move has also revived scrutiny of the MC Road project, the alleged payment delays and the circumstances surrounding Lee’s death.
