'Cannot Become Mute Spectator': Kerala Minister Demands Probe into CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala seeks Vigilance probe into CEC Gyanesh Kumar regarding 2006 PWD irregularities and a fatal suicide case.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has officially moved to trigger a Vigilance inquiry into allegations of corruption involving the current Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar. The move follows serious claims regarding irregularities during Kumar's 2006 tenure as the state's Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary.
Allegations Linked to Engineer's Suicide
The decision to seek a formal investigation stems from a petition detailing malpractice and corrupt activities. A critical piece of evidence cited by the Minister is the suicide note of Lee See Been, a Malaysian engineer involved in a state road project. According to Chennithala, the deceased engineer's note explicitly named Gyanesh Kumar, who was serving as the PWD Secretary at the time of the incident.
“The representation reveals some of the serious issues,” Chennithala told ANI. “Also, in between, Malaysian project engineer, Lee, committed suicide. In the suicide note, it has been mentioned about PWD Secretary Gyanesh Kumar very clearly. So the government cannot sit idle. I cannot become a mute spectator.”
Petition Submitted by Congress Activist
The petition, which alleges widespread malpractices during Kumar's administrative tenure, was submitted to the Minister by Congress activist Malayinkeezhu Venugopal. Chennithala has already forwarded this documentation to the Vigilance Director to examine the claims and determine if legal action is warranted.
The Home Department has also taken the significant step of requesting all existing files related to a preliminary Vigilance inquiry that was conducted back in 2006. This fresh probe aims to investigate whether there was any external influence that may have affected the original proceedings nearly two decades ago.
Minister Defends Action Against Political Claims
Addressing potential backlash, Chennithala emphasized that the move is a matter of administrative duty rather than political maneuvering. While acknowledging the ongoing political friction between the Opposition and the central leadership, he insisted this specific case is a matter of legal accountability.
“Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, is fighting against the misrule of the BJP. Gyanesh Kumar is only a tool of PM Modi and Amit Shah. According to their dictates, he is acting,” Chennithala stated, while simultaneously clarifying the distinction of this case. “But this case is different. As a minister, it is my bounden duty to go into the details, and if there is a cognizable offence, it is my duty to send it to the vigilance director for further inquiry. That I have done.”
The Minister concluded by stressing that the ultimate goal of the investigation is to establish the facts and ensure justice for the people of Kerala.