K Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu state unit president of the Bahujan Samaj Party, was murdered in retaliation for the killing of a gangster, Arcot Suresh, in August last year, police officials have said based on their preliminary investigation. Armstrong, 47, was hacked to death by a six-member gang on Friday evening near Perambur in Chennai.
Suresh, a native of Vellore and a Dalit, was a known figure in Perambur but had a contentious relationship with Armstrong, officials said. According to investigators, Suresh allegedly supported a gold trading company involved in a financial scam that defrauded over a lakh depositors of Rs 2,438 crore between September 2020 and May 2022. Armstrong had supported some of the people who lost money in the scam, promising to retrieve their investments, leading to tension between the two, officials said.
The police investigation has revealed that Suresh’s murder was carried out by a gang led by Jayapal. “The assailants believe Jayapal killed Suresh on orders from Armstrong. Jayapal is currently in prison in a different case. He also faces complaints of taking commissions from investors to retrieve their lost money. In Armstrong’s murder, Suresh’s brother, Baalu, who is facing at least three criminal cases, has now been arrested. Baalu allegedly led the gang that killed Armstrong on Friday,” said a senior officer probing the case.
Chennai city police have arrested eight people so far – Suresh’s brother Ponnai V Baalu (39), D Ramu (38), K Thiruvengatam (33), S Thirumalai (45), D Selvaraj (48), G Arul (33), K Manivannan (25) and J Santosh (22).
Police tracked down the assailants through mobile phone locations and bike registration numbers, following a review of CCTV footage. However, sources said, the assailants surrendered after the crime, fearing an encounter if they were caught after a chase. Another criminal, Nagendran, who is currently in prison, is suspected of helping Baalu execute the crime, officials said.
On Friday night, Armstrong was chatting with friends and supporters near his house when the assailants attacked him with machetes and sickles. His friends fled, and his family members rushed to the scene on hearing his cries. They found him lying in a pool of blood with injuries to his head and neck. He was taken to a private hospital in the city, where doctors pronounced him dead.
In a statement, Chief Minister M K Stalin said, “The police have arrested those who were behind the murder last night. I express my condolences to his family members and partymen.”
BSP workers organised a protest outside the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital mortuary and demanded a CBI probe.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed shock over the killing, calling it “brutal and abhorrent”. “My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and followers,” he said.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and actor turned politician Vijay also condemned the murder.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 06-07-2024 at 19:39 IST