CHENNAI: Ten accused arrested in Tamil Nadu BSP leader Armstrong murder case have been detained under the Goondas act based on directions of City police commissioner on Saturday.
Over two dozen accused have been arrested so far in connection with the July 5 murder of K Armstrong.
One of them, K Thiruvengadam was shot dead in an early morning "encounter" on Sunday 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 of Armstrong's murder.
On the orders of Commissioner A Arun passed on Saturday, ten accused- Ponnai V Balu (39), D Vinoth (38), S Thirumalai (45), G Arul (32), K Manivannan (25), J Santosh (22), D Selvaraj (49), K Sivasakthi (26), R Vijay (21), G Gokul (25) have been detained under the Goondas act.
Ponnai Balu is the younger brother of rowdy Arcot Suresh who was murdered by a gang in broad daylight last year.
Chennai Police who have so far officially maintained that Armstrong's murder was a "revenge killing" for rowdy Arcot Suresh's murder.
However, the spate of arrests over the last two months involving advocates and cadres of major political parties suggests more than a revenge killing and the exact motive will be known when the city police files a chargesheet in the case in a week's time.