Kerala Vigilance to file FIR against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in reopened 20-yr-old KSTP graft case

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is set to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in connection with a 20-year-old corruption allegation linked to the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).

Following instructions from Minister Ramesh Chennithala based on a petition, the Vigilance Bureau has initiated a preliminary verification into the matter. Investigating officers have begun gathering testimonies from senior officials who oversaw road infrastructure projects during that period.

Bribe demands and unresolved files

The case traces back to the suicide of Lee See Been, a Malaysian engineer associated with the contractor firm executing the MC Road development project under the KSTP.

In a complaint drafted prior to his death, the engineer alleged that senior Public Works Department (PWD) officials demanded bribes to pass pending bills and reduce financial penalties imposed by the state government.

Vigilance findings indicate that Gyanesh Kumar, who served as the PWD Secretary at the time, was named twice in the engineer's complaint.

Although the initial investigation was shelved without reaching a conclusive outcome, the state government has officially ordered a re-investigation into the files.
 

Notice to Chief Election Commissioner

As part of the re-opened probe, the Vigilance Bureau plans to issue a formal notice to Gyanesh Kumar seeking his official statement. Given his current constitutional standing as the Chief Election Commissioner of India, legal experts anticipate that Kumar will pursue legal remedies against the state action.