Pramod Tiwari seeks CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, demands probe

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged contract irregularities from his 2006 tenure in the Keralam PWD. A fresh vigilance probe has been ordered into the matter.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Monday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying he faced allegations over contracts during his tenure as a senior official in the Keralam PWD department in 2006. Tiwari said the allegations warranted an investigation.

"If CEC Gyanesh Kumar possesses even a shred of morality, he ought to resign from his post. Given the allegations of dishonesty regarding contracts during his tenure as an official in the PWD department, an investigation is certainly warranted," he said.

The 2006 Case

The case pertains to the alleged death by suicide of Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who was associated with the PATI-BEL consortium tasked with upgrading the MC Road under the Keralam State Transport Project (KSTP). The deceased engineer’s “suicide note” had reportedly named Gyanesh Kumar, who was serving as the state PWD Secretary at the time.

Fresh Probe Ordered

The fresh probe was initiated following allegations that the original preliminary inquiry conducted in 2006 was derailed due to external pressure. Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered an investigation by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) against Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities during his tenure as the state’s Public Works Department Secretary in 2006.

Taking note of the matter, the Home Department has sought all relevant files pertaining to the 2006 VACB preliminary inquiry.

Ramesh Chennithala has directed the Vigilance Director to conduct a thorough inquiry into the allegations of external influence and take appropriate action based on the findings, according to the Home Minister’s Office.

Keralam Home Minister said the allegation of external influence in the case was serious and warranted a detailed investigation. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)