Sajan B O, who participated in the World Bank-funded project, made the allegation at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. He claimed that Kumar’s refusal to clear outstanding bills contributed to financial pressures that ultimately drove Lee See Been, chief project manager of the Indo-Malaysian joint venture PATI-BEL, to suicide in 2006.
Sajan said he possessed documents supporting his allegations and would submit them to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), which is examining suspected irregularities in the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).
The contractor alleged that payments approved by other officials were withheld by Kumar, who demanded Rs 2 crore to facilitate their release. He maintained that the Malaysian company refused to meet the demand, resulting in prolonged financial difficulties for the consortium and its subcontractors.
According to Sajan, the road development contract covered approximately 124 kilometres across the Alappuzha-Changanassery and Changanassery-Madukkamoodu stretches, with an estimated value of Rs 274 crore. Work was suspended in 2005 amid mounting financial and contractual difficulties.
Sajan further alleged that Lee transferred funds from another company project in Bengaluru to settle outstanding liabilities associated with the Kerala contract. The diversion allegedly created additional financial complications, leaving the engineer unable to meet obligations arising from the stalled project.
The allegations concerning the bribe demand and its connection with Lee’s death remain unproven. No independent finding establishing criminal wrongdoing by Kumar has been made public.
The contractor’s statements come as the Kerala government pursues a fresh examination of allegations associated with the project and Lee’s death in Kuala Lumpur in November 2006.
Public Works Minister P K Basheer told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that the VACB’s preliminary inquiry was continuing and its findings had not yet been received.
Responding to questions from BJP legislators B B Gopakumar, V Muraleedharan and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Basheer said discrepancies identified in the earlier investigation had prompted the decision to undertake another examination.
The minister also referred to an alleged loss of Rs 700 crore to the government arising from irregularities involving officials connected with the project. The figure remains an allegation pending investigative findings.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala ordered the fresh inquiry earlier this month following a complaint submitted by Congress leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal. The complaint sought scrutiny of Kumar’s conduct during his tenure as PWD secretary and the circumstances surrounding the Malaysian engineer’s death.
Chennithala subsequently informed the Assembly that the government would examine available documents before determining whether further proceedings were warranted.
The renewed investigation is examining whether the original Vigilance inquiry adequately considered allegations of corruption, improper administrative intervention and financial pressure on the construction consortium.
An earlier inquiry was closed after investigators failed to establish sufficient evidence supporting the allegations. The present examination is also expected to consider whether relevant material was overlooked or whether outside pressure influenced the original proceedings.
Lee, who supervised the consortium’s construction activities, reportedly left suicide notes referring to difficulties encountered during the execution of the road contract. Allegations that Kumar was named in those communications have formed an important element of the complaint seeking further investigation.
Investigators have faced difficulties obtaining the purported suicide notes, which could be significant in establishing the precise nature of Lee’s grievances and identifying individuals against whom he made allegations.
The VACB’s investigation primarily concerns suspected corruption and administrative misconduct. A separate examination of circumstances surrounding the suicide has also been considered because allegations involving criminal responsibility for a death fall outside the bureau’s principal investigative remit.
The project itself encountered disputes over land acquisition, construction delays, payment obligations and demands for revision of contractual terms. These issues complicated the relationship between the government and the consortium during implementation.
PATI-BEL was formed through cooperation between a Malaysian construction company and Kerala-based Bhageeratha Engineering. Its assignment formed part of the larger programme to upgrade major road corridors with World Bank assistance.
Sajan has expressed willingness to cooperate with investigators and provide documentary material concerning payment clearances, contractual liabilities and administrative decisions taken while Kumar supervised the department. His proposed submission could become part of the evidence examined during the ongoing preliminary inquiry.
