CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Police (GCP) filed a 5,000-page chargesheet in the murder case of former BSP state president K Armstrong at a judicial magistrate court in Egmore on Thursday.
A police source said 30 people were named accused in the chargesheet containing 750 pages of documentary evidence. The names of at least 200 witnesses have been included in the chargesheet. The documentary evidence included details of a firearm and five country bombs.
The source said the police have named history-sheeter P Nagendran as the prime accused, history-sheeter Senthil alias Sambo Senthil the second accused and former TN Youth Congress functionary N Aswathaman — son of P Nagendran — as third.
The source also said the chargesheet confirms that Armstrong was murdered in retaliation to history-sheeter Arcot Suresh’s killing in August 2023. “Suresh’s brother Ponnai Balu felt that Armstrong was the main man behind Suresh’s murder but he escaped legal action. For vengeance, Balu wanted to kill Armstrong,” added the source.
Besides Suresh’s murder, the police have found multiple other motives behind the killing of the former BSP chief. Nagendran and Aswathaman allegedly had a dispute with Armstrong over a financial deal. Aswathaman and Armstrong had a previous enmity over another land deal to the tune of several crores.
Sambo Senthil allegedly had a grudge against Armstrong as the former had to pay several lakh rupees to facilitate a house purchase, almost a decade ago. Police sources added that Nagendran, Senthil and Aswathaman, along with the associates of Arcot Suresh, had planned the attack.
Of the three main accused, P Nagendran, a life convict, is presently lodged at the Vellore Central Prison for murdering former AIADMK MLA Stanley Shanmugam in Vyasarpadi in 1997. He was arrested in connection with Armstrong’s murder on August 9.
Sambo Senthil has been absconding for the past few years, evading arrest. Aswathaman, a lawyer, was arrested on August 7, soon after he was expelled from his post of state principal general secretary of Tamil Nadu Youth Congress.
In connection with Armstrong’s murder, 28 people have been arrested so far. Of them, 25 have been detained under the Goondas Act. Those arrested include Suresh’s wife S Porkodi, Ponnai Balu, deceased history-sheeter Thottam Sekar’s wife S Malarkodi and former BJP functionary M Anjalai. One of the arrested, K Thiruvengadam, was shot dead by the police after he allegedly attempted to flee by attacking the police near Puzhal on July 14.
Multiple motives
According to sources, the chargesheet confirms that Armstrong was murdered in retaliation to history-sheeter Arcot Suresh’s killing. Suresh’s brother Ponnai Balu felt that Armstrong was the main man behind Suresh’s murder but escaped legal action. Police have found multiple other motives behind the killing of the former BSP state chief,