Thiruvananthapuram, October 5, 2026: The Kerala government has ordered a fresh Vigilance inquiry into allegations connected with a 2006 Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) road project during the tenure of current Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as the state’s Public Works Department Secretary.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala ordered the inquiry following a complaint submitted by Congress leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal. The complaint sought a fresh investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the KSTP project and questions over how the earlier Vigilance inquiry was handled.
The case relates to a World Bank-funded project for upgrading sections of the MC Road, undertaken by the Indo-Malaysian PATI-BEL consortium. The project was valued at around ₹215–216 crore.
The controversy also involves Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who was associated with the project and died by suicide in Kuala Lumpur in 2006. Reports say his purported suicide notes contained allegations concerning problems surrounding the project and mentioned Gyanesh Kumar, who was PWD Secretary at the time.
A preliminary Vigilance inquiry was conducted in 2006 but did not progress to a comprehensive investigation. The fresh inquiry is expected to examine the old case records, allegations surrounding the road project, and claims that the previous investigation was improperly halted or influenced.
As part of the renewed process, Vigilance authorities have begun examining files from the Public Works Department and records relating to the earlier inquiry. The state Home Department has sought relevant documents so that investigators can determine the appropriate legal course of action.
Chennithala said Gyanesh Kumar’s present position as Chief Election Commissioner would not prevent an inquiry into allegations relating to his earlier tenure as a Kerala government official.
The allegations remain subject to investigation, and no criminal wrongdoing by Gyanesh Kumar has been established in the renewed inquiry.
The reopening of the nearly two-decade-old case is expected to bring fresh scrutiny to the KSTP project, the circumstances surrounding Lee See Been’s death, and the handling of the original Vigilance investigation.
