- BSP leader K Armstrong was hacked to death in Chennai on July 5, 2024, allegedly by an eight-member gang
- Family of the murdered Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader asked Madras High Court to hand over case to CBI
- They alleged the Tamil Nadu Police did not conduct investigation properly
The Madras High Court has ordered transfer of the investigation into the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Tamil Nadu chief K Armstrong to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Armstrong's family had requested the high court to hand over the case to the CBI, alleging the city police had not conducted a proper investigation. They alleged the police did not investigate the political angle.
They also alleged lapses such as failure to investigate the police encounter of the accused, Thiruvengadam.
Armstrong was hacked to death in Chennai on July 5, 2024, allegedly by an eight-member gang. The police later said the killing was linked to gang rivalry over the 2023 murder of Arcot Suresh.
Several of Suresh's relatives and aides, including his wife and brother-in-law, have since been arrested.
So far, 27 people have been arrested in connection with Armstrong's killing, while the seventh accused, Thiruvengadam, was killed in a police encounter.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed a 7,087-page chargesheet against 30 people in the case.
During the hearing, Justice Velmurugan questioned the Chennai police over lapses in the probe, including the failure to conduct an identification parade. The judge said such shortcomings led to acquittals in past cases. The police said an identification parade was unnecessary since the media had already published photographs of the accused.
Investigators have said the murder was a fallout of gang rivalry and not politically motivated.
The court directed that all case documents be handed over to the CBI and instructed the agency to file a chargesheet within six months. The case, currently pending trial in a Chennai sessions court, will now be pursued by the CBI.
