Anbazhagan challenges probe panel

CHENNAI: DMK general secretary and former minister K Anbazhagan has moved the Madras High Court to quash an order dated June 22 this year of the government constituting a one-man commission headed by Justice S Thangaraj to enquire into the alleged irregularities in the construction of the new Secretariat-cum-Assembly building on Anna Salai.The First Bench comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam, before which the petition came up for hearing today, adjourned the same to August 4 for ascertaining its maintainability.In his public interest writ petition, Anbazhagan contended that Justice Thangaraj was a person biased and prejudiced against the DMK and he could not and would not conduct a fair and impartial enquiry. The commission was constituted without any basis or necessity.Appointment of a biased person would amount to a mockery of law. The dominant purpose of the constitution of the commission was to settle political rivalry and to satiate the personal animosity of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, petitioner alleged.