CHENNAI: Madras high court on Sunday permitted burial of the body of Bahujan Samaj Party TN president K Armstrong, who was hacked to death on Friday, on a one-acre private plot at Pothur village in Tiruvallur district.
The Tiruvallur collector forwarded a resolution passed by the panchayat modifying classification of the land to a burial ground, justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan said, adding that if the deceased’s family wants to construct a memorial in Chennai, it can approach state govt for approval.The court then directed police to provide adequate protection for the last rites and the family to cooperate with police to complete the funeral peacefully.
On a request made by counsel representing Amstrong’s wife, seeking state honours for Armstrong, the court allowed the petitioner to give a representation to the state. “The govt has acted in a magnanimous way to help you (family of deceased) by providing a school ground to organise the funeral.”
Earlier, A Porkodi, in a plea, sought permission to bury Armstrong’s remains at the BSP’s state headquarters. Govt refused permission, saying the party office was located in a congested residential area.
When the plea was taken up for hearing, justice Bhavani Subbaroyan refused to direct the state to permit the burial at the party office citing the objections raised by the authorities.
Additional advocate general J Ravindran said the govt wanted to help the petitioner, but its hands were tied. He further submitted that the BSP office is located in a residential area and that rules didn’t permit declaration of such land a burial ground.
