Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party leader B.B. Gopakumar on Monday demanded that former Public Works Minister M.K. Muneer also be made a co-accused in the Vigilance inquiry ordered against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in connection with the suicide of a Malaysian engineer nearly two decades ago.
Gopakumar said the UDF government, which has now ordered the probe against Gyanesh Kumar, must also investigate the role of M.K. Muneer, who was the Public Works Minister when the alleged irregularities took place.
The demand comes amid renewed scrutiny of the 2006 suicide of Lee See Been, Chief Project Manager of PATI-BEL, an Indo-Malaysian consortium involved in the upgrading of the MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).
Gyanesh Kumar, then PWD Secretary, was named in Lee's suicide note, which also contained allegations of corruption and harassment in the project.
The government on Sunday ordered a Vigilance inquiry following a legal opinion by Director General of Prosecution (DGP) T. Asaf Ali.
The opinion stated that there were allegations that Gyanesh Kumar had abused his official position, favoured contractors and caused substantial financial loss to the state.
It also pointed to the possibility of an offence of abetment of suicide.
Gopakumar demanded an explanation from both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) on why no action had been taken against Gyanesh Kumar despite the two fronts alternately being in power for nearly two decades.
“Things that could not be detected for 20 years have suddenly come to light. The reason should be made clear,” he said.
He also demanded that the role of M.K. Muneer and successive governments that allegedly failed to act on the complaint be investigated.
The BJP has also sought a case against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan based on information and evidence provided by the Enforcement Directorate.
Gopakumar said the government should disclose the action taken on the complaint and the legal opinion obtained on it.
He questioned the decision to conduct a preliminary inquiry through the Crime Branch in a matter that, according to him, warranted a Vigilance probe.
“If Gyanesh Kumar, Pinarayi Vijayan or M.K. Muneer has committed any wrongdoing, all must face the law. There should be no double standards,” he said.
The DGP’s opinion maintained that delay does not by itself extinguish criminal liability for serious offences such as corruption and abetment of suicide.
It stated that the allegation of harassment leading to Lee’s suicide warranted a detailed investigation.
Gopakumar also criticised the four-month-old V.D. Satheesan government, alleging that its only achievement had been power-sharing within the ruling coalition.
He said the Indian Union Muslim League had secured five ministerial berths and another Cabinet-rank position through M.K. Muneer’s appointment as Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission.
He alleged that Satheesan had earlier opposed the commission and other appointments, citing the financial burden on the state, but had changed his position after assuming office.
Source: IANS
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