The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Madras High Court order of September 24 quashing a 7411-page chargesheet lodged in the murder of BSP Tamil Nadu president K. Armstrong.
A Bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria also issued notice on the appeal filed by the Police Commissioner. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra and advocate Dabarish Subramanium argued that the High Court had quashed the chargesheet by a cursory reading of vague allegations raised by Armstrong’s brother K.V. Immanuel.
Mr. Luthra said the HC was “swayed by extraneous considerations, including media narratives and prevailing political circumstances, ordering for de-novo probe and transfer of case to the CVI. Armstrong was killed in Perambur,in Chennai by unknown assailants, who approached him as food delivery agents on July 5, 2024. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the Joint Commissioner of Police, was constituted.
The chargesheet they had submitted invoked multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Explosives Act and was based on forensic reports, witness statements, and other supporting documents. The Bench, headed by Justice J.K. Maheshwari, stayed the quashing of the chargesheet by the High Court after Mr. Luthra argued that accused were all seeking discharge. Mr. Luthra submitted transfer of probes to the Central Bureau of Investigation should not be done as a ‘matter of routine’, but great caution should be exercised by the High Courts.
Mr. Immanuvel had argued that in the High Court that there were material contradictions between the First Information Report and the chargesheet. He alleged that the SIT failed to apprehend the key conspirators; there was strategic omission of critical witness testimonies; questionable evidence handling procedure; among others.
Published – October 10, 2025 10:53 pm IST
