Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a vigilance inquiry against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in connection with a 2006 case dating back to his tenure as secretary of the state Public Works Department (PWD).
The matter is linked to the suicide of Malaysian engineer Lee See Been, who was working on a road project in Kerala. Gyanesh Kumar’s name was reportedly mentioned in the engineer’s suicide note.
Allegations have been raised that the initial investigation into the matter in 2006 was stopped under external pressure. The Kerala Home Department has now sought all files related to the earlier investigation and ordered a fresh probe.
Chennithala said the allegations of interference in the investigation were serious and directed the Vigilance Director to conduct an impartial inquiry and establish the facts.
Meanwhile, Congress leader P Chidambaram has appealed to chief electoral officers (CEOs) of different states to openly disclose the instructions they received during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He said officials should explain the directions given to them instead of waiting for courts to seek such information.
The development comes amid growing opposition criticism of the Election Commission and CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition parties have been demanding his resignation and have announced a protest on October 6, followed by a major rally in Delhi on November 1.
