Police Suspect Revenge Plot In BSP Tamil Nadu Chief's Murder, Detain Eight As Protests Erupt

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers and supporters on Saturday protested against the brutal killing of its Tamil Nadu president, K. Armstrong, demanding the immediate arrest of those involved.

Party members gathered outside Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, where Armstrong’s body is being kept in the mortuary for autopsy.

Armstrong, 51, was hacked to death by a six-member gang near his residence in Perambur, Chennai. The two-wheeler-borne gang attacked him around 7:30 p.m. on Friday. He was rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

An advocate by profession and known as a Dalit voice in the state, Armstrong previously served as a Councillor in the Greater Chennai Corporation.

The Chennai Police, who are currently searching for the accused, suspect the possibility of this being a revenge murder linked to the killing of gangster Arcot Suresh last year, according to an NDTV report. “We are conducting an investigation. The murder seems to be linked to an earlier killing,” a senior police officer said.

The police have formed 10 special teams to probe the murder and have secured eight suspects so far in connection with the case.

“In the murder case, we have secured 8 suspects so far. This is a preliminary investigation. Ten teams have been formed by us. We are on the job to bring the offenders to light. After the interrogation of these suspects, we will be able to find the motive behind the murder. Some sharp weapons have been used,” senior Chennai police officer Asra Garg stated.

There are some “two to three suspicious motives”, but the exact one would come to light only after the interrogation of the suspects, he added.

In response to Armstrong’s killing, Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy criticised the escalating crime rate in Chennai and across the state, stating that “old Madras is becoming a city of murders.” He also called for Chief Minister Stalin’s resignation if he cannot effectively address the issue.