The Madras High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Tamil Nadu chief K. Armstrong, citing the "miserable failure" of the Chennai police in conducting a proper investigation. Justice P. Velmurugan passed the order on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, while hearing a petition filed by Armstrong's brother, K. Immanuvel, who alleged that the city police had not properly investigated the case.
Armstrong, a prominent Dalit rights advocate and Ambedkarite leader, was brutally hacked to death by an eight-member gang in Chennai on July 5, 2024. The attack occurred near his under-construction house in Perambur, North Chennai, in broad daylight. Armstrong's brother, K. Veeramani, who was present during the attack, sustained stab injuries while trying to protect him.
The Greater Chennai Police filed a 7,087-page chargesheet against 30 individuals, linking the murder to gang rivalry stemming from the 2023 murder of gangster 'Arcot' Suresh. Several of Suresh's relatives and aides were among those arrested. However, Armstrong's family has consistently maintained that the murder was a political assassination and alleged that the police deliberately ignored the political motives behind the crime. Armstrong's wife, Porkodi, claimed the police investigation was rushed, key witnesses were overlooked, and political figures connected to the suspects were not questioned.
Justice Velmurugan had previously criticized the police investigation, describing it as "a classic example" of procedural failure. During the hearing, he questioned the Chennai police for failing to conduct an identification parade, despite the presence of eyewitnesses. The judge dismissed the police's justification that an identification parade was unnecessary because the media had already published photographs of the accused, stating, "Was the media the eyewitness to the crime? Media may publish any picture for TRP (Television Rating Points)". He also noted that acquittals in India often result from investigative flaws rather than a lack of evidence.
The court also raised concerns about the police encounter killing of one of the accused, Thiruvengadam, and the failure to apprehend absconding conspirators. The police informed the court that Thiruvengadam had died during the investigation and that two other accused, both advocates, were absconding and possibly escaped to France or the United Kingdom.
The High Court has directed the CBI to take over the investigation and file a chargesheet within six months. All case documents must be handed over to the CBI. The CBI will re-examine the evidence, witnesses, and alleged lapses in the earlier investigation. The court's decision is considered a setback for the Tamil Nadu government and comes after sustained demands from Armstrong's family and the BSP's Tamil Nadu unit for a CBI inquiry.
