Chennithala orders fresh vigilance probe against Gyanesh Kumar; decades-old file to reopen

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government is all set to reopen an investigation against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered for an investigation. The probe will focus on the corruption case related to the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), involving the period when Gyanesh Kumar was serving as the state public works secretary. The investigation will also cover the suicide of an engineer from Patibel, the company that had undertaken the contract.

The mention in the engineer’s suicide note brought Gyanesh Kumar under the scanner. The home department ordered the investigation following the complaint filed by Congress leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal. The move by the Kerala government comes amid protests across the country demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over allegations related to electoral manipulation.

The file, which was settled years ago, is now being reopened. Following allegations of corruption in the KSTP project, Gyanesh Kumar was removed from the post of public works secretary, but no major further action was taken against him. The preliminary investigation by the vigilance and the crime branch found that Gyanesh was not guilty. However, the case is now being reinvestigated following a complaint that the investigation conducted in 2007 was not satisfactory.