CHENNAI: About two weeks after 10 accused arrested in connection with the murder of BSP Tamil Nadu unit president K Armstrong were placed under preventive detention, popularly called Goondas Act, 15 more accused in the case, including erstwhile functionaries of political parties, have been detained under the Act.

On Thursday, city police Commissioner A Arun passed orders placing 15 accused under the provisions of the Act. They were identified as K Hariharan (27), S Malarkodi (49), K Satishkumar (31), K Haridharan (37), M Anjalai (51), B Siva (35), T Pradeep (28), V Mukilan (32), N Vijayakumar (21), N Vignesh (27), N Aswathaman (31), S Porkodi (40), L Rajesh (40), V Senthil Kumar (27), and R Gopi (23).

Anjalai was a BJP functionary while Aswathaman was a Youth Congress functionary. Hariharan was a Tamil Manila Congress functionary while Haridharan, an AIADMK functionary, is a lawyer and a ward councillor in Kadambathur panchayat union in neighbouring Tiruvallur district. Arul, a DMK functionary, was detained under the Goondas Act earlier.

Over two dozen accused have been arrested so far in connection with Armstrong’s murder on July 5. One of them, K Thiruvengadam, was shot dead in an early morning "encounter" near Madhavaram on July 14, when he allegedly opened fire at the police team which rounded him up after he fled while being taken to secure weapons used in the murder.