High Court Orders CBI Probe into Armstrong Murder
In a significant ruling issued on September 24, 2025, the Madras High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe into the brutal murder of K. Armstrong, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) State president in Tamil Nadu. Armstrong was tragically hacked to death by an armed gang in Chennai on July 5, 2024.
Justice P. Velmurugan delivered this order in response to a petition filed by K. Immanuvel, the deceased leader’s brother. Immanuvel had sought the transfer of the investigation from the Greater Chennai City Police to the CBI, expressing deep dissatisfaction with the local police’s allegedly flawed and improper handling of the case.
Court’s Stern Criticism of Police Investigation
During the earlier hearings in July 2025, Justice Velmurugan had openly challenged the city police regarding their investigative methods. He specifically highlighted a glaring omission: the failure to conduct a basic identification parade, even though numerous eyewitnesses were present at the crime scene.
The judge emphasized that many criminal cases ultimately result in acquittals due to such investigative lapses, presenting Armstrong’s murder as a clear example. He firmly stated that the availability of CCTV footage should not be a pretext to bypass crucial legal requirements like an identification parade. When Additional Advocate General P. Kumaresan suggested that extensive media coverage of the accused’s pictures might have rendered an identification parade pointless, Justice Velmurugan retorted, “Was the media an eyewitness to the crime? Media may publish any picture for TRP (Television Rating Points).”
Details of the Brutal Attack
According to the prosecution, Armstrong was brutally attacked and killed by an eight-member armed gang. The incident occurred in Perambur and was witnessed by several individuals, including his brother K. Veeramani, driver Abdul Kani, real estate broker Balaji, and construction workers Mohanraj and Suresh. K. Veeramani also sustained stab injuries to his head and back while attempting to defend his brother. It was based on Veeramani’s complaint that the initial First Information Report (FIR) was registered, despite his clear statement to the police that he could identify the assailants.
The judge expressed dismay over the police’s “miserable failure” to conduct an identification parade. He reiterated that while media publications might be cited by the defense, such a fundamental legal requirement should not have been overlooked.
Police Defense and Current Status
The court’s observations were made before Justice Velmurugan reserved his judgment on July 28, 2025, on the petition seeking a CBI probe to uncover the full truth. Despite the police having completed their investigation and filed a comprehensive 7,087-page charge sheet against 30 individuals, the petitioner successfully argued, referencing a Supreme Court verdict, that the High Court retains the authority to transfer an investigation to the CBI if dissatisfied with the local police’s efforts.
In their counter-affidavit, the city police claimed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising a Joint Commissioner, a Deputy Commissioner, two Assistant Commissioners, 16 Inspectors, 19 Sub Inspectors, and 44 constables, had been formed to tackle the Armstrong murder case. They asserted that the investigation had covered all angles, identifying gang rivalry and a prior dispute stemming from the 2023 murder of ‘Arcot’ Suresh as the motive. The charge sheet included Suresh’s wife, brother, brother-in-law, other relatives, and associates.
The police also detailed the status of the accused: the primary accused, Nagendran, is already incarcerated in Vellore Central Prison for another murder. The second accused, ‘Shambhava’ Senthil alias Senthilkumaran, and the eighteenth accused, ‘Mottai’ Krishnan alias Krishnakumar (both lawyers), have been declared absconding. Efforts, including Red Corner Notices, have been initiated to extradite the second accused, who is believed to have fled to France or the United Kingdom. The case against these two absconding individuals has been separated, and the trial court was informed that the seventh accused, Thiruvengadam, had died during the investigation.
The police maintained that the investigation was conducted professionally, leading to the detention of 27 accused under the Goondas Act, who remain in judicial custody without bail. Furthermore, they reported the seizure of significant evidence, including five country-made bombs, one country-made pistol, four 9mm bullets, 13 knives, one axe, eight two-wheelers, four four-wheelers, 27 mobile phones, a Zomato uniform and bag, and cash totaling ₹63.13 lakh from the arrested individuals.