Chennai, Nov 5 : The Tamil Nadu Police are reportedly close to apprehending one of the main suspects in the murder case of the BSP state President K. Armstrong, who was hacked to death on July 5, 2024, in Chennai.

The prime accused in the case, underworld don Sambhav Senthil, along with his associates Krishnakumar and Appu, are still absconding. However, sources in the Greater Chennai Police have confirmed that special police teams are actively following leads and are expected to arrest Senthil and the other suspects soon.

Seventeen police teams were assembled to investigate this case, and 27 individuals have already been arrested.

The arrested include hardened criminals, known history-sheeters, and members from political parties like AIADMK, Tamil Manila Congress (TMC), BJP, and Congress.

Speaking to the media, Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner M. Arun stated that a 5,000-page charge sheet has been submitted to a jurisdictional magistrate court within the stipulated timeframe.

According to the charge sheet, the notorious don P. Nagendran, who has been incarcerated for the past 26 years, is listed as the first accused, with Sambhav Senthil as the second.

The document reveals that three gangs conspired together to meticulously plan and execute Armstrong's murder.

One of the gangs, which carried out the actual murder, was led by Ponnai Balu, the brother of slain gangster Arcot V. Suresh. Balu and his group surrendered to the police shortly after the murder, confessing that they had killed Armstrong in retaliation for the murder of Arcot Suresh, whom they alleged was killed at Armstrong's behest.

The second and third groups, responsible for planning and financing the murder, were led by the first accused, P. Nagendran, and the second accused, Sambhav Senthil.

According to the charge sheet, Nagendran's son, K. Ashwathaman, a former Tamil Nadu Youth Congress office bearer, had personal issues with Armstrong, which reportedly fueled Nagendran's animosity toward the BSP leader.

Additionally, Senthil is alleged to have had a dispute with Armstrong over a real estate deal. The three groups ultimately collaborated to orchestrate the assassination of Armstrong.

/IANS