Supreme Court suspends CBI probe into murder of Tamil Nadu BSP chief K Armstrong

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra contended that police had filed a comprehensive chargesheet, and the High Court quashed it in a "casual manner".

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday suspended a Madras High Court order transferring the probe into the murder of former Tamil Nadu Bahujan Samaj Party president K Armstrong to the CBI.

A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi passed the order after hearing senior advocate Sidharth Luthra for the Tamil Nadu government challenging the order of the Madras High Court, which had also quashed the chargesheet filed by the state police in the case.

Luthra contended that police had filed a comprehensive chargesheet, and the High Court quashed it in a "casual manner".

Upon hearing submissions from Luthra, the bench decided to put on hold the CBI probe into the case.

On October 10, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court's order which quashed a charge sheet filed by the Tamil Nadu Police in the case. The court then refused to stay the High Court's direction of transferring the probe to the CBI.

Armstrong, a prominent Dalit leader, was brutally hacked to death allegedly on July 5, 2024, outside his residence in Perambur, Chennai, by a group of armed assailants.

The High Court's single judge bench order of September 24 came on a petition filed by Armstrong's brother, K Immanuvel alias Keynos, who had sought a CBI probe.

Keynos alleged that there were many shortcomings in the investigation being carried out by the state police.

The High Court held that there were procedural lapses in the investigation and material contradictions in the chargesheet.

Assailing the order, the Tamil Nadu government contended that the police had filed a comprehensive chargesheet running into 7,411 pages and arraying 30 accused persons which was quashed by the HC in a "casual manner".

"The High Court has not even bothered to glance at the chargesheet or its detailed contents, yet has recklessly and inexplicably quashed a meticulously prepared and comprehensive charge sheet," the plea filed by Commissioner of Police contended.

Luthra then contended that the CBI probe has to be ordered only in exceptional cases only after finding glaring lapses in the State Police investigation.