India, Nov. 5 -- The Keralam government on Wednesday sanctioned a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) inquiry against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar related to his tenure as the state's Public Works Department (PWD) secretary in 2006.

A former contractor with the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) filed a fresh bribery complaint against Kumar, a 1988 batch Kerala cadre Indian Administrative Service officer.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said he granted sanction under section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act to the VACB to conduct a preliminary probe into the current CEC after obtaining legal opinion on the matter. The alleged irregularities associated with the KSTP are under the VACB's scrutiny...