CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu state unit president of
Bahujan Samaj Party
(
BSP
)
K Armstrong
, 47, was attacked and killed by a six-member gang while he was chatting with his friends and supporters near his residence in a crowded locality at Sembiam near Perambur late on Friday evening, July 5.
According to the police, the gang arrived on three motorcycles at around 7pm and attacked Armstrong with lethal weapons.
His men were unable to respond and come to his aid before the gang viciously hacked him and fled, leaving him in a pool of blood.
Armstrong's friends, who were conversing with him, fled the scene after the gang members threatened them with machetes and sickles. Upon hearing his screams, Armstrong's family members rushed to the spot, only to find him severely injured on his head and neck.
They immediately took him to a corporate hospital on Greams Road in Thousand Lights, where doctors pronounced him dead upon examination.
The
Chennai police
have taken into custody eight individuals suspected of being involved in the brutal
murder
case. The motive behind the killing is believed to be revenge for the prior murder of a gangster named Arcot Suresh, as per police sources.
The police have identified the arrested suspects as Ponnai Bala, Ramu, Thiruvengadam, Thirumalai, Selvaraj, Manivannan, Santhosh, and Arul. The apprehension of these individuals was made possible through a thorough examination of CCTV footage, which led to the identification of their mobile tower locations and the registration numbers of their motorcycles.
Who was K Armstrong?
Armstrong, a professional advocate and former councillor of Chennai Corporation, began his political career after obtaining LLB degree from Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati in 2009 and practiced law in Chennai courts.
He passed away at the age of 47, leaving behind his wife and daughter.
In 2006, Armstrong won as an independent candidate in a city ward during the 2006 local body elections. This breakthrough in his political career happened when he organised a mega rally in Chennai and invited BSP chief Mayawati.
He gained national prominence after inviting former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and organizing a massive rally and public meeting at Pulla Reddy Avenue in Aminjikarai, Chennai. In the following year, he was appointed as the president of the Bahujan Samaj Party's Tamil Nadu unit.
He later contested the 2011 assembly elections from the Kolathur constituency against DMK's
MK Stalin
but was unsuccessful.
As the president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Tamil Nadu, Armstrong was well-known for his dedication to supporting young people in their educational and professional pursuits, particularly in the North Chennai area.
The police disclosed that his early life was marked by eight criminal cases. While Armstrong had a history sheet with several criminal cases registered against him, police officials noted that it had been closed a few years ago.
BSP supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati strongly denounced the brutal murder of K Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu state president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). She took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express her outrage and demand justice for the slain leader.
In her post, Mayawati wrote, "The brutal murder of a hardworking and dedicated leader of the BSP in Tamil Nadu and the state party unit president Shri K. Armstrong outside his Chennai residence yesterday evening has sent shockwaves across the society. The government should immediately take strict/necessary action to prevent such incidents in future."
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