States » SouthPosted at: Oct 4 2026 9:05AM


Kerala orders fresh Vigilance probe into 2006 suicide case linked to CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 4 (UNI) The Kerala Government has ordered a fresh Vigilance investigation into the 2006 suicide of a Malaysian project manager associated with the MC Road development project, a case in which Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, then Public Works Department Secretary, was reportedly named in the suicide note.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to conduct a fresh probe into the case, including allegations that the original investigation was influenced or derailed by external pressure.
The case concerns Lee See Been, chief project manager of PATI-BEL, an Indo-Malaysian consortium involved in the development of the MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP). Lee died by suicide in Kuala Lumpur in 2006.
Kumar was serving as PWD Secretary in Kerala when the incident occurred.
The case had come to light after allegations that Lee was under severe pressure in connection with the project, particularly over the clearance of bills and payments. His suicide note reportedly contained allegations of harassment and irregularities involving officials and mentioned Kumar, who was then heading the PWD.
The then LDF Government ordered a Vigilance inquiry into the allegations following Lee's death. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted a preliminary inquiry, but the investigation did not result in further action.
The case has now resurfaced after questions were raised about the manner in which the original inquiry was handled. The Home Department had sought the old Vigilance files relating to the case, and reports indicated that some of the records connected with the inquiry could not readily be traced.
The fresh probe followed a complaint seeking reinvestigation into the circumstances surrounding Lee's death and the allegations raised in connection with the project. KPCC executive committee member Malayinkeezhu Venugopal had also approached the authorities seeking that the case be reopened.
The PATI-BEL consortium had undertaken the upgrading of a major stretch of the MC Road under KSTP. The project was originally estimated at around Rs 216 crore but the cost subsequently increased substantially. The project had also faced delays, including issues relating to land acquisition and payment of bills.
Former Kerala Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac recently revived the controversy by referring to the case and the allegations surrounding Lee's death. Isaac said the suicide note contained allegations of harassment and demands for money by officials and that Kumar was among those mentioned in connection with the allegations.
Isaac has also said that the project had run into serious problems over delays and payment-related disputes between the contractor and the Public Works Department. However, he has clarified that he had not personally seen the suicide note and was referring to details that had emerged at the time.
Reports at the time said Lee returned to Malaysia amid the mounting difficulties and later died by suicide in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian authorities reportedly recovered two suicide notes.
The circumstances surrounding the original Vigilance inquiry have also come under renewed scrutiny, particularly allegations that the investigation did not proceed despite the seriousness of the allegations and that some records subsequently became unavailable.
The fresh Vigilance investigation will examine the allegations connected with Lee's death, the circumstances surrounding the MC Road project, the contents and implications of the suicide note, the role of officials named in the allegations and the manner in which the earlier inquiry was conducted.
The development comes amid the ongoing political controversy surrounding Kumar in connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties and various organisations have been demanding action against the Election Commission over the revision exercise.
The 2006 case has therefore acquired fresh political significance with the Kerala Government's decision to reopen the matter nearly two decades after the original inquiry.
The fresh investigation, however, does not establish any wrongdoing on the part of Kumar. The allegations concerning his role in the case will have to be examined and established, if at all, through the Vigilance investigation.
UNI DS
Tags: #Kerala orders fresh Vigilance probe into 2006 suicide case linked to CEC Gyanesh Kumar
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