Keralam orders probe into 2006 corruption allegations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Oct 4, 2026 - 19:00

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The Keralam government on Sunday ordered a preliminary investigation into corruption allegations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar dating back 20 years, when he was the secretary of the state’s Public Works Department, The Hindu reported.

The development comes amid allegations against Kumar about irregularities in the conduct of the special intensive revision of voters rolls and calls from Opposition parties seeking his removal from office.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front government has directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to probe allegations of bribery involving an Indo-Malaysian construction company that was awarded a contract to upgrade the Main Central Road under the Kerala State Transport Project. The project was delayed and saw cost escalations during Kumar’s tenure while the Left Democratic Front government was in power.

The firm had been awarded the contract by the previous UDF government.

The allegations also include financial losses to the exchequer and the suspected death by suicide of Lee See Been, chief engineer of the PATI-BEL consortium, in Kuala Lumpur in November 2006.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday said that the government received a formal complaint alleging irregularities during Kumar’s tenure as the public works department secretary.

“I have forwarded the petition to the Vigilance Director for a detailed examination and further action in accordance with law,” he wrote...