Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday informed the Kerala Assembly that the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) was progressing with the probe into allegations involving Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar dating back two decades, saying that crime never dies.
“The incident took place 20 years ago, but a crime never dies. The probe has begun, and it will take time as it involves a few incidents. The probe will go forward and look into all aspects. The findings will be announced once completed,” Chennithala said.
He was responding to a submission by ruling front legislator A.K.M. Ashraf of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on the Vigilance inquiry ordered against Kumar over allegations linked to his tenure as Kerala’s Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary.
The fresh inquiry was ordered on October 4 following a petition by Congress leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal.
It will examine allegations that external pressure derailed a preliminary Vigilance inquiry conducted in 2006.
The case is linked to the death of Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who died by suicide in Kuala Lumpur in November 2006 after returning from Kerala.
He was associated with the PATI-BEL consortium entrusted with upgrading the MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).
Lee’s purported suicide note reportedly named Kumar, who was the PWD Secretary at the time.
The allegations relate to alleged irregularities surrounding the road project and the circumstances in which the initial inquiry was handled.
The state Home Department has sought the relevant records of the earlier Vigilance proceedings.
The fresh inquiry will examine how the original investigation was conducted and whether any outside influence affected its course.
Chennithala last week directed the Vigilance Director to conduct a thorough inquiry into the allegations of interference and take appropriate action based on the findings.
The minister has described the allegations of external influence as serious enough to warrant detailed scrutiny.
The renewed inquiry comes at a politically sensitive time, with the Congress leadership in Delhi strongly opposing Chief Election Commissioner Kumar over separate controversies.
The Kerala probe, however, concerns allegations linked to his tenure as a state official two decades ago.
The reported reference to Kumar in the purported suicide note and the allegations surrounding the earlier inquiry do not establish wrongdoing.
The fresh investigation is expected to determine whether the original proceedings were compromised and whether further action is warranted.
The government has said the probe will examine all aspects before its findings are made public.
(IANS)
