Kerala clears a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau case against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

4 November 2026

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has said the State has given the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau sanction to register a case and investigate Gyanesh Kumar, who is the Chief Election Commissioner of India. The complaint goes back to his years as Public Works Secretary in Kerala, and speaks of a demand for 2 crore rupees to clear bills pending for a contractor. It was filed by V O Sajan, who supplied materials to the firm. The firm was a joint venture with a Malaysian partner working on the MC Road. The Minister said a present constitutional post does not place a person's earlier service beyond examination. Legal advice to the Home Department held that statements the firm's engineer made while alive can be treated as primary evidence. The sanction only lets a case be registered; the Bureau will decide what follows.