NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Madras High Court’s decision to cancel bail to 12 persons accused in the BSP leader K Armstrong’s murder case.
“In the meantime, the extension of the order of stay on cancellation would operate [on the same terms and conditions of bail] as allowed by the trial court,” said a bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar.
According to the prosecution, Armstrong, a prominent Dalit leader, was hacked to death on July 5, 2024, outside his residence in Perambur by a group of assailants.
In February this year, the Madras High Court cancelled the bail granted to 12 accused persons by the trial court in the murder. The HC passed the order after hearing a plea filed by Armstrong’s wife Porkudi.
The HC cancelled the bail saying that the case was at the stage of framing of charges and granting bail to the accused might result in tampering with witnesses and destruction of evidence.
The court directed the accused to surrender before the Principal Sessions Court, Chennai, on or before March 6 (later extended).
On October 10 last year, the Supreme Court had stayed the Madras HC order quashing the chargesheet filed by the Tamil Nadu police in the case.