Kerala Reopens 2006 KSTP Case Linked To CEC Gyanesh Kumar; Fresh Vigilance Probe To Examine Corruption Allegations

Kerala Reopens 2006 KSTP Case Linked To CEC Gyanesh Kumar; Fresh Vigilance Probe To Examine Corruption Allegations, Lee See Been Death And Earlier Inquiry

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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has ordered a fresh Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) inquiry into a 2006 case linked to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, reopening allegations surrounding a World Bank-funded road project during his tenure as the state's Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary.

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala directed Vigilance Director Manoj Abraham to conduct a detailed inquiry after examining a complaint submitted by KPCC leader and Congress activist Malayinkeezhu Venugopal. Chennithala also discussed the matter with Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan before directing the Vigilance authorities to take appropriate legal steps.

Chennithala: 'I Cannot Become A Mute Spectator'

Speaking to ANI, Chennithala said Venugopal's petition alleged “malpractices and corrupt activities” during Kumar's tenure as PWD Secretary.

“If there is a cognizable offence, it is my duty to send it to the vigilance director for further inquiry. That I have done,” Chennithala said, adding that he “cannot become a mute spectator.”

In separate remarks to reporters, the minister said he found prima facie merit in the complaint and had asked Vigilance Director Manoj Abraham to proceed according to law.

The Home Department has also sought files relating to the preliminary Vigilance inquiry conducted into the matter in 2006.

What Is The 2006 KSTP Case?

The controversy dates back to Kumar's tenure as Kerala PWD Secretary and concerns the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), a World Bank-funded programme aimed at upgrading roads across the state.

One of the major packages involved the widening and upgrading of the Main Central Road (MC Road) from Angamaly to Thiruvananthapuram. The particular package was reported to be worth around Rs 215 crore and was executed by PATI-BEL, a joint venture involving Malaysian firm PATI and Bhageeratha Constructions.

The Rs 215 crore figure relates to the MC Road package and should not be confused with the total value of the wider KSTP programme, which covered a substantially larger road network.

Malaysian Engineer's Death Put Kumar's Name In Focus

Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, also referred to in some reports as Lee Been Seen or Lee See Ben, was the chief project manager of the consortium's Kerala operations.

Lee flew from Thiruvananthapuram to Kuala Lumpur on November 7, 2006. Four days later, on November 11, he reportedly told his wife that he was going for a jog. His body was later found hanging from an iron bridge in a park in Kuala Lumpur.

Reports at the time said several bills, reportedly amounting to around Rs 13 crore, were pending in connection with the project. A note recovered following Lee's death was reported to have named Gyanesh Kumar and contained allegations concerning delayed clearances, harassment and corruption involving PWD officials.

However, the contents of the note have never been conclusively tested in a proceeding establishing criminal liability against Kumar. A former intelligence chief has also said legal restrictions and the absence of a reference from Malaysian police limited access to the document.

What Happened To The Original Vigilance Probe?

Lee's death and the allegations surrounding the KSTP project triggered a Vigilance inquiry by the then LDF government led by V.S. Achuthanandan.

Kumar was moved out of the PWD before the end of 2006 and subsequently went on central deputation, including a stint as Joint Secretary in the Defence Ministry.

The earlier Vigilance inquiry did not result in any publicly established finding of criminal guilt against Kumar. The proceedings were subsequently reported to have stalled or closed without the allegations being fully pursued, with questions later raised over jurisdiction and the manner in which the inquiry was handled.

The fresh complaint now seeks to revisit precisely that aspect of the case.

Fresh Probe To Examine Alleged External Influence

Venugopal has sought an investigation into both the original allegations surrounding the KSTP contracts and the claim that the 2006 Vigilance inquiry was closed or derailed without properly pursuing the allegations.

Chennithala has described the allegation of external influence over the earlier investigation as serious and said it needs to be examined according to law.

The new probe will therefore have two broad components: examining the allegations concerning Kumar and the KSTP project, and determining whether the earlier inquiry was improperly influenced, compromised or brought to an end without adequate investigation.

Former Officials Raise Questions Over Old Case

The case has resurfaced with former officials and political figures also raising questions about what happened to the original investigation.

Former Vigilance ADGP Sibi Mathews has questioned how Kumar received clearance for central deputation while a Vigilance inquiry was pending.

Former Kerala finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, who has revisited the matter, has said he has not personally read the alleged note and that allegations of bribery were circulating at the time.

Isaac has also said completion of the particular package eventually required at least Rs 330 crore. He has pointed to land acquisition issues, in addition to payment-related concerns, as factors that affected the project's progress.

He has further raised concerns about the availability of old Vigilance records, saying some files from the period may no longer exist.

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No Criminal Guilt Established Against Kumar

Despite the allegations, no conviction or final judicial finding establishing criminal wrongdoing by Gyanesh Kumar in connection with the 2006 episode has been reported.

The allegations contained in the reported suicide note, including claims of corruption, harassment, delayed payments and demands for bribes, remain allegations and were not conclusively established against Kumar through a final criminal proceeding.

The fresh Vigilance inquiry is therefore not a finding of wrongdoing but an investigation into the allegations and the handling of the earlier probe.

Probe Comes Amid Wider Political Scrutiny Of CEC

The development comes at a time when Kumar is facing wider political criticism in his role as Chief Election Commissioner, particularly over issues surrounding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Chennithala, however, has said the Kerala government's present action is distinct from the Opposition's campaign against the Election Commission.

The fresh probe specifically concerns the two-decade-old PWD and KSTP episode and the manner in which the original Vigilance inquiry was handled.

The Vigilance Bureau's findings will determine whether the allegations warrant further legal or administrative action.

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