‘Gyanesh Kumar Demanded 2 Crore Bribe in Kerala’: Home Department Orders Probe into Corruption Allegations
Serious corruption allegations have surfaced against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over an alleged bribery demand dating back nearly two decades. The allegations relate to a road construction project during his tenure as Secretary of Kerala’s Public Works Department (PWD). According to reports, the Kerala Home Department has directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to investigate the allegations.
The development comes amid protests by opposition parties against Gyanesh Kumar, making the Congress-led Kerala government’s decision to initiate an investigation politically significant.
A former contractor from Kollam district has lodged a complaint with the state’s Vigilance Director. According to the complainant, he had undertaken work under the Kerala State Transport Project. However, despite completing the work, then PWD Secretary Gyanesh Kumar allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹2 crore to release the pending payment.
The complaint further alleges that although engineers had approved the work and cleared the bills, the then secretary deliberately withheld a cheque worth approximately ₹17 crore. As a result, a Malaysian company associated with the project reportedly suffered substantial financial losses.
The complainant has also alleged that a Malaysian engineer associated with the company, Lee See Bin, died by suicide in 2006 following the incident. He further claimed that Gyanesh Kumar’s name was mentioned in Lee’s suicide note.
The former contractor has raised concerns over the earlier investigation conducted by the Vigilance Department, claiming that the individuals questioned at the time were not directly involved in the alleged incident. He has urged the authorities to question Lee See Bin’s family members as well as employees of the company to establish the facts.
Following the receipt of the complaint, the Vigilance Department approached the Kerala Home Department seeking permission to conduct a further investigation. According to sources, the Home Department has now granted the required approval.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is expected to proceed with the investigation to establish the facts surrounding the allegations. However, the allegations against Gyanesh Kumar are yet to be independently established.
