Supreme Court stays Madras High Court order quashing chargesheet in K Armstrong murder case

The top court, however, did not stay the high court's direction transferring the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Madras High Court's order which quashed a charge sheet filed by the Tamil Nadu Police in the case concerning the murder of BSP state president Armstrong.

A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria, however, 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 court passed the interim order after hearing senior advocate Siddharth Luthra on behalf of the State of Tamil Nadu.

"In the meantime, order of quashing charge sheet shall remain stayed. However, the direction for transferring the investigation to Central Bureau of Investigation shall remain in operation," the bench said.

The court issued notice returnable on November 14, 2025 on the special leave petition against the Madras High Court's single judge bench order of September 24.

The HC's order 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 contended that the CBI probe has to be ordered only in exceptional cases only after finding glaring lapses in the State Police investigation.