The directive, issued on Wednesday, follows a complaint by former contractor V O Sajan, who alleged that Kumar demanded Rs 2 crore to release outstanding payments under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) while serving as the state’s Public Works Department secretary in 2006.
Officials said the complaint would be examined through a preliminary inquiry before determining whether further legal proceedings were warranted. The allegations remain unproven, and no finding of wrongdoing has been established against Kumar.
Sajan, a resident of Chadayamangalam in Kollam district, submitted his complaint to the VACB director, alleging that approved payments amounting to approximately Rs 17 crore had been withheld despite the completion of relevant engineering and administrative procedures.
The disputed payments concerned work undertaken by PATI-BEL, an India-Malaysia joint venture engaged in upgrading sections of the Main Central Road under the World Bank-assisted transport project.
According to Sajan, Malaysian engineer Lee See Been, who was associated with the project, informed him that Kumar had demanded Rs 2 crore before authorising the release of outstanding bills.
Sajan claimed that the company’s management refused to make the alleged payment, leaving contractors, suppliers and workers facing mounting financial difficulties. He maintained that the payment delays disrupted construction activities and placed considerable pressure on those responsible for executing the project.
The contractor further alleged that Lee arranged funds from another company project in Bengaluru to meet immediate liabilities after payments remained outstanding.
Sajan linked the financial difficulties and alleged bribery demand to Lee’s death by suicide in 2006. He also claimed that the engineer had mentioned Kumar in a suicide note, citing information purportedly conveyed by Lee’s family to company employees.
However, the alleged suicide note has not been made public, and its contents have not been independently established. The circumstances surrounding Lee’s death and any connection with the alleged demand remain matters requiring examination.
Sajan has offered to produce witnesses, including members of Lee’s family and former employees associated with PATI-BEL, to support his allegations before investigators.
He also questioned the handling of the original vigilance inquiry, alleging that investigators had failed to interview individuals possessing direct knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the disputed payments.
The latest complaint is expected to be considered alongside an existing preliminary inquiry concerning alleged irregularities in the same road project.
Chennithala had authorised that inquiry on October 4 following a petition submitted by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal, who sought renewed scrutiny of allegations involving Kumar’s tenure in the Public Works Department.
The earlier petition raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Lee’s death and the manner in which previous investigations had been discontinued.
The Home Department sought legal advice before proceeding with the renewed examination of the allegations. Officials indicated that the vigilance authorities would assess the available material and determine whether additional evidence justified further action.
The decision has attracted political attention because Kumar currently heads the Election Commission, which is facing criticism from Congress and other opposition parties over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The electoral revision controversy is separate from the contractor’s allegations, which concern administrative decisions made during Kumar’s service in Kerala.
Chennithala informed the state Assembly last month that earlier vigilance proceedings concerning public works contracts had been closed because investigators could not substantiate the allegations.
He said the VACB had examined complaints involving 76 works allegedly awarded without following prescribed tender procedures between 2003 and 2006.
The minister stated that the agency had recommended discontinuing proceedings after the alleged irregularities could not be established through its inquiries.
He also disclosed that eight cases were referred to courts in 2012 as mistakes of fact, with the courts accepting the reports submitted by investigators.
Those earlier findings remain relevant to the assessment of whether the new complaint contains evidence that was unavailable or insufficiently examined during previous proceedings.
The renewed scrutiny centres on the KSTP road improvement contract, including sections of the Alappuzha-Changanassery and Changanassery-Madukkamoodu stretches.
Sajan has identified himself as a contractor involved in supplying materials for the project and maintains that his dealings with the Malaysian project engineer gave him knowledge of the disputed payment arrangements.
