THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a Vigilance probe into corruption allegations in the KSTP road work project and the death of a Malaysian contractor associated with it in 2006, when incumbent CEC Gyanesh Kumar was serving as the PWD secretary in the state, sources said on Sunday.

The development comes amid protests by the Congress and other opposition parties against Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across India.

Gyanesh Kumar is a Kerala-cadre IAS officer who headed various departments in the state before moving to central ministries.

Chennithala ordered the probe after KPCC leader Malayinkeezhu Venugopal filed a complaint seeking an investigation against Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday.

Sources said Chennithala has directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to conduct a preliminary investigation before deciding on further action against Kumar.

The case concerns the suicide of Malaysian civil engineer Lee See Been, who was associated with the PATI-BEL consortium involved in the upgradation of MC Road under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) in Keralam.

At the time, Kumar was serving in the state's Public Works Department.

Following Been's death, a Vigilance probe was ordered in 2006.

However, the investigation did not proceed further, and Kumar moved to the Defence Ministry on deputation, sources said.