Kerala reopens 2006 vigilance probe linked to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

The Kerala government has ordered a fresh investigation into a corruption case nearly 20 years old. The case is linked to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. In 2006, Kumar was secretary of Kerala's Public Works Department (PWD). The case related to allegations of irregularities in a road project and of bribe demands.

A vigilance inquiry had begun after the suicide of Malaysian engineer Lee See Bin, and it has now been reopened. These are only allegations, and the new inquiry will test their truth.

What happened in 2006? Gyanesh Kumar is a 1988-batch IAS officer and was then secretary in Kerala's PWD. A major road project in Kerala was held by PATI-BEL, a joint venture of India and Malaysia. Lee See Bin was the chief project manager on the project. A suicide note that surfaced after his death reportedly named Gyanesh Kumar. The note alleges that a bribe was demanded to clear payment for the project's work.

A vigilance inquiry against Kumar had begun after the incident. Kerala's Home Department has now ordered a fresh probe into the same case, and the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) is looking at it again. The papers of the earlier inquiry and the records related to the suicide are reported to be examined afresh.

Meanwhile, details have also emerged of differences within the Election Commission led by Gyanesh Kumar. Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded formal objections at least 14 times in the past 10 months. According to the commissioners, some decisions on adding or deleting names in the electoral rolls and on the SIR were taken without their knowledge.

The Commission has its own position. Clarifying some reports, it said the letters Sandhu and Joshi sent to the Cabinet Secretary concerned an officer on deputation. According to the Commission, the letters did not relate to policy or to IT department issues. Claims and counterclaims are thus being made about the nature and impact of the internal differences.

The Commission has faced growing political criticism over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. Opposition parties have alleged that names of voters were deleted on a large scale and that the process lacks transparency. The Election Commission's stand is that the process is lawful and necessary to correct the electoral rolls.

Petitions have also been filed in court over the controversy and the functioning of Gyanesh Kumar and the Commission. They seek an examination of the legality of the SIR process as well as of the Commission's alleged internal differences. These are allegations made in the petitions, and the court has yet to give its final decision.

The Kerala government's decision to restart the 2006 vigilance inquiry has brought the old case of Lee See Bin's suicide back into discussion. The political row over the SIR, the objections of the two commissioners and the petitions in court are also sharpening public and political debate over Gyanesh Kumar's functioning. It cannot be said, however, that the 2006 allegations have been proved. The purpose of the fresh probe is to test the truth of those allegations and the findings of the earlier inquiry.