Lee returned to Kuala Lumpur. On 11 November 2006, he was found dead, hanging from an iron bridge in a park. He had told his wife that he was going for a morning jog.
Lee’s death transformed a contractual dispute into an administrative scandal. His suicide note detailed harassment, corruption and problems involving officials, including Kumar, who were associated with the project. The Kerala government removed Kumar from the post of PWD secretary and ordered a vigilance inquiry.
Former finance minister and CPI(M) leader T.M. Thomas Isaac recalls being troubled by Kumar’s handling of the matter.
“The company bombarded us with complaints on contract violations, and sought liquidated damages. In response, not a single letter was sent from the PWD citing lapses by the contractor.” Finding that strange, Isaac summoned Kumar to his office and asked why no memos were sent. “He said he was planning to send one. I was really annoyed!”
If the contractor was guilty of violations, why had the PWD not formally documented them? Why had it reached the point where a project manager was dead? The inquiry remained unresolved.
Sibi Mathews, who was vigilance ADGP at the time, asks: “How did Kumar manage to get clearance from the state government for deputation while facing a vigilance probe?”
Jacob Punnose, then ADGP intelligence, says, “legal restraints” prevented Kerala Police from accessing Lee’s suicide note. “Besides, Malaysian police didn’t reach out to us.”
The full documentary trail — if there was one — was never made public. The road was in place, Lee was dead, Kumar’s career continued. He moved to the Centre, serving as joint secretary in the ministry of defence, additional secretary in the ministry of home affairs, secretary in the ministry of parliamentary affairs and the ministry of cooperation. His MHA responsibilities included Jammu and Kashmir and matters connected with the establishment of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust.
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