Armstrong murder case: Police pick up son of Jayapal, prime accused in Arcot Suresh's killing

CHENNAI: Following the arrest of G Haridharan, an expelled AIADMK Councillor from Tiruvallur yesterday, police on Sunday picked up an advocate named Prabhakaran for questioning, in connection with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state chief Armstrong's murder, as reported by Daily Thanthi.

It may be noted that Prabhakaran is the son of Jayapal, a prime accused in rowdy Arcot Suresh's murder case. The rowdy was hacked to death in public in August last year. The city police had initially claimed that Armstrong was murdered in retaliation for Suresh's murder.

BSP leader K Armstrong was murdered by a gang outside his under-construction house in Perambur on July 5. The city police arrested eight persons, including Arcot Suresh’s younger brother Ponnai Balu, within three hours of the murder. More persons were arrested subsequently.

Meanwhile, the police are also on the lookout for 'Bomb' Saravanan, the older brother of BSP's former North Chennai district secretary Thennarasu (murdered in 2015), who is reportedly expected to exact revenge for Armstrong's murder.

The police assumed 'Bomb' Saravanan would show up at Armstrong's funeral. However, since he was a no-show and there have been intelligence reports claiming that he might plot revenge, the police have kickstarted a search for the man.

On Saturday, Haridharan, a lawyer and ward councillor in the Kadambur panchayat union in Tiruvallur West district, was arrested on charges of throwing the mobile phones used by the accused in Armstrong's murder into the stretch of the Kosasthalaiyar near Vengathur village in Tiruvallur district, police said. According to media reports, the police team who were searching for the evidence have recovered six phones.

Haridharan was friends with the TMC worker and DMK worker, Arul, who was one of the main accused arrested in connection with Armstrong's murder.

On Friday evening, the police had arrested M Anjalai, an expelled TN BJP functionary and a 'B' category history-sheeter. She was also the partner of slain rowdy Arcot V Suresh.

Anjalai's name started doing the rounds after police secured three persons including advocates S Malarkodi, an AIADMK functionary, K Hariharan (27) of Tamil Manila Congress, and K Sathish (33), whose father is a DMK functionary, in connection with Armstrong's murder.

Haridharan was arrested based on the confession by the TMC worker, K Hariharan, who had handed over the phones to Haridharan. The AIADMK functionary was sacked after his arrest.

On July 14, K Thiruvengadam (33), one of the suspects, was shot dead in a police 'encounter' near Madhavaram, when he allegedly opened fire at the police team which rounded him up after he fled while being taken to secure weapons used in Armstrong's murder.

(With Bureau inputs)