Ramesh Chennithala, Kerala’s Home Minister, has directed the state’s Vigilance and Anti‑Corruption Bureau to reopen the 2006 case that saw the death of Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been. The engineer’s suicide note, discovered after his death, named Gyanesh Kumar, who was serving as PWD Secretary then, leading the Home Department to suspect the original inquiry was compromised.
The Home Department will now retrieve all files from the 2006 preliminary inquiry, citing concerns that external influence derailed the investigation. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have demanded Kumar’s resignation, citing a series of objections logged by former Election Commissioners.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram urged Chief Electoral Officers across states to publicly clarify instructions received during the Special Intensive Revision exercise, warning that the process may be illegal. The next step will be a formal audit of the 2006 investigation and a public report by the VACB, expected by the end of the month.