Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala of the Kerala government ordered an inquiry into the matter after KPCC leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal filed a complaint demanding an investigation against Gyanesh Kumar.
Amid allegations of SIR and election rigging, the Congress government in Kerala has ordered an investigation into a 20-year-old suicide case against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar . The case relates to allegations of corruption in the KSTP road project in 2006, during the tenure of the then Kerala Public Works Department (PWD) secretary and current CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and the death of a Malaysian civil engineer associated with the project.
According to a report by news agency PTI, this development comes at a time when the Kerala Home Department has sought files related to the initial vigilance inquiry conducted against Gyanesh Kumar in 2006.
According to the report, Chennithala ordered this fresh investigation after KPCC leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal filed a complaint on Saturday (October 3, 2026) demanding an inquiry against Gyanesh Kumar.
Chennithala said in issuing the order against Gyanesh Kumar
An order issued by the Kerala Home Ministry directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to conduct a preliminary investigation before considering further action against Gyanesh Kumar. Meanwhile, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala stated in a media briefing that he had investigated the complaint and found prima facie basis for the allegations.
मैंने विजिलेंस निदेशक को निर्देश दिया है कि वर्ष 2006 में लोक निर्माण विभाग के तत्कालीन सचिव ज्ञानेश कुमार से जुड़े कथित अनियमितताओं और बाहरी प्रभाव के आरोपों की विस्तृत जांच करें।
शिकायत प्राप्त होने और संबंधित अभिलेख मांगे जाने के बाद यह कदम उठाया गया है।
जांच साक्ष्यों के आधार पर आगे बढ़ेगी।
किसी को पहले से दोषी नहीं ठहराया जाएगा।
सार्वजनिक जवाबदेही समय के साथ समाप्त नहीं होती।
— Ramesh Chennithala (@chennithala) October 4, 2026
According to PTI, he said, “I agree that a thorough vigilance investigation into the matter is essential. I have also spoken to Chief Minister VD Satheesan about this matter, and have subsequently directed Vigilance Department Director Manoj Abraham to take the necessary steps for a thorough investigation under the law.”
What is this 20 year old case ?
Actually, this case is related to the suicide of a Malaysian civil engineer, Lizzie Bean, who was associated with the Pati-Bell consortium, which was carrying out the upgrading work on the MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).
According to Chennithala, in 2006, KSTP began rebuilding the MC Road from Angamaly to Thiruvananthapuram as part of a ₹215 crore project funded by the World Bank. Her husband, Bell, a joint venture between a Malaysian company and Bhagiratha Engineering, handled the project. She said that she had filed numerous complaints during the road construction work. Afterward, he returned to Malaysia, where he committed suicide.
