In a significant development in the murder case of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Tamil Nadu chief K Armstrong, police have recovered six smartphones from the river Kosasthalaiyar in Chennai. The retrieval was carried out by scuba teams from the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Service over the weekend, marking a crucial breakthrough in the investigation into Armstrong's brutal killing by a gang of six assailants on July 5.
Authorities believe that these smartphones played a pivotal role in planning the attack on Armstrong. The discovery of the phones follows the arrest of three individuals linked to the case: advocate Malarkodi, AIADMK councillor Haridharan (subsequently expelled from the party), and former BJP functionary Anjalai.
According to police sources, financial transactions were traced between one of the initially arrested suspects, Arul, and Malarkodi and Anjalai. These transactions are suspected to have facilitated the acquisition of weapons, including country bombs, which were used in Armstrong's murder.
Haridharan, on the other hand, allegedly played a critical role in disposing of evidence. Investigators assert that he was assigned by Arul and another accused, Hariharan (unrelated), to distribute six smartphones to the attackers. Post the murder, Hariharan purportedly collected these devices, damaged them to hinder investigation, and then discarded them in the river.
Confirming the recovery of the phones, the Greater Chennai Police stated, "Based on this information, we deployed scuba teams and were able to recover the phones."
Previously, police had arrested Anjalai under suspicion of harboring the assailants due to her purported association with another associate, Arcot Suresh.
In a separate development, one of the 16 suspects initially apprehended, Thiruvengadam, who is believed to have instigated the attack on Armstrong, was killed in a police encounter. This incident adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation into Armstrong's tragic death, highlighting the intensity and stakes involved in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
