The Madras High Court, on Wednesday, September 24, ordered the transfer of the investigation into the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state president K Armstrong to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Justice P Velmurugan passed the order while allowing a plea filed by Armstrong’s brother K Immanuvel.
Armstrong, a prominent Dalit rights advocate and Ambedkarite leader, was fatally attacked by a gang of armed men outside his residence in Perambur, Chennai, on July 5, 2024. His brother Veeramani, who tried to shield him, suffered injuries and later told the court that he could identify the attackers.
The Greater Chennai Police had filed a 7,000-page chargesheet against 30 accused, attributing the killing to gang rivalry linked to the 2023 murder of gangster ‘Arcot’ Suresh. However, Armstrong’s family alleged that political motives were deliberately excluded from the probe. His wife, Porkodi, in her separate plea, claimed the investigation was hurried, key witnesses were ignored, and political figures close to suspects were not interrogated.
Justice Velmurugan previously described the police’s approach as “a classic example” of procedural failure. He dismissed the state’s justification that media publication of suspects’ photos made an identification parade unnecessary, remarking, “Was the media the eyewitness to the crime?”
The petitioner also highlighted contradictions, including the police naming 30 accused despite the FIR identifying only eight assailants disguised as food delivery agents. He further pointed to the alleged encounter killing of one accused, Thiruvengadam, and the failure to apprehend absconding conspirators.
The High Court’s order comes amid sustained demands from Armstrong’s family and the BSP’s Tamil Nadu unit, which has consistently called the murder a political assassination and pressed for a CBI inquiry.
The matter will now be handed over to the CBI, which will re-examine the evidence, witnesses, and alleged lapses in the earlier investigation.