Tamil Nadu: BSP Chief Mayawati Demands CBI Probe Into Murder Of K Armstrong

Chennai: Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati on Sunday demanded a CBI probe into the murder of her party’s Tamil Nadu president K Armstrong. Paying homage to his mortal remains in Perambur in Chennai, Mayawati alleged that real culprits were not arrested in the case. 

“The State Government is not serious about this murder investigation. If the State Government does not want to render justice, this case should be handed over to the CBI,” Mayawati said adding, if the Government did not do show it would only mean “they are also involved in this murder.”

In a speech delivered in Hindi, the BSP leader said, the matter had to be taken up seriously because “this is not just about our State president, it is about the oppressed sections, the Dalits, they are scared if this can happen to our State president, it can happen to anyone.”

Urging her party cadre not to take law into their hands, she said they should stay within the limits of law and demonstrate that the oppressed section does not take law into their hands.

Meanwhile, Justice Bhavani Subbaroyon held a special sitting on Sunday to hear a petition filed by Armstrong’s wife Porkodi to direct the Greater Chennai Corporation to permit them to bury his body at the BSP Tamil Nadu office premises in Perambur. 

However, the State Government opposed the move pointing out that the premises in question stood on a 2,400 square feet land and was in a congested area.

Thereafter, the court offered Armstrong’s family an opportunity to look for an alternative venue. Subsequently, the court allowed the family to bury his body at a one acre farm land owned by a relative of the slain leader in neighbouring Tiruvallur district. 

The district authorities too quickly passed an order allowing the conversion of the ryotwari land into a burial ground. 

The court, however, refused to pass any order on a plea to direct the State Government to offer police honours during the burial.