CHENNAI: K Armstrong (52), state president of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was hacked to death by an unidentified six-member gang near Sembium in Chennai on Friday evening. Late in the night, Chennai police said that they had secured eight suspects.
According to police, Armstrong, along with a few of his party cadres, was overseeing the construction work of a building at Venugopal Street in Sembium near Perambur around 7pm when the gang, dressed up as food delivery executives, arrived on three bikes and surrounded him. They hacked him with knives and fled the spot, leaving Armstrong in a pool of blood.
He was rushed to a private hospital on Greams Road where the doctors declared him brought-dead. His body was then sent to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for a postmortem. The Chennai City police have formed 10 special teams, led by Additional Commissioner, Chennai (North) Asra Garg, to probe the case. Two associates of Armstrong who sustained injury in the attack were hospitalised.
A case has been filed. Police are checking CCTV footage and Armstrong’s phone records to identify the suspects. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pulianthope I Eswaran and Assistant Commissioner Praveen Kumar went to the spot and conducted inquiries.
An advocate, Armstrong was a prominent Ambedkarite voice and remembered by North Chennai residents as a political leader who educated and empowered several youth. Elected as a Chennai Corporation councillor in 2006, he unsuccessfully contested the 2011 Assembly election from Kolathur.
The 4,000 odd votes secured by him were slightly more than the winning margin secured by the then deputy CM M K Stalin over Saidai Duraisamy. He had been BSP’s state president for 17 years. There are also some cases against him. BSP national president Mayawati, in a post on ‘X’, condemned the murder and sought justice.
Retaliation for Arcot Suresh’s murder last year?
Speaking to media at RGGGH, Asra Garg said police have secured eight suspects in the case. A source said that one of the suspects could be linked to the murder case of Arcot Suresh in 2023.
Armstrong’s murder could be a retaliation for Suresh’s murder, the source said. Armstrong is survived by his wife and one-year-old daughter Savitri Bai (named by BSP chief Mayawati). At the hospital, a stream of supporters and well-wishers, including film director Pa Ranjith, mourned his death.
Party cadres staged a protest condemning the murder. Huge posse of police personnel has been deployed in the locality to prevent any untoward incident. BSP supporters staged a road roko outside the RGGGH where Armstrong’s body has been taken.
Advocate & Ambedkarite
Armstrong, an advocate, was a prominent Ambedkarite and is remembered by North Chennai residents as a leader who empowered several youth