Who was K Armstrong? BSP's Tamil Nadu unit chief murdered in Chennai

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.
The City Police Commissioner, Sandeep Rai Rathore, said , "Armstrong possessed a licensed pistol. He surrendered the weapon during the election code of conduct period, and it was returned to him on June 13."
According to the Commissioner of Police (CoP), there appears to be no immediate threat to Armstrong's safety, and the investigation has not uncovered any political motivation behind the murder.
As part of their ongoing efforts to maintain law and order, the GCP is actively monitoring the activities of approximately 4000 individuals with criminal records throughout the city.
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 seven criminal cases. Despite having seven cases registered against him in the past, Armstrong had been acquitted in all of them.
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."
Armstrong murder: How it happened
In a matter of minutes, the life of 52-year-old Armstrong was brutally cut short near his under-construction house in the densely populated Venugopal Swamy Koil Street in Perambur at 7pm on Friday.
The attackers, cleverly disguised as food delivery agents and ordinary citizens, had strategically positioned themselves at the location, feigning interest in their phones and Google maps. As Armstrong turned to engage with the strangers who called him 'Anna', the assailants swiftly pulled out machetes from their backpacks and launched a vicious assault on the Dalit leader, with three more joining in the attack.
According to eyewitnesses, the first strike came from behind, landing on Armstrong's left cheek. Before he could react, a second blow struck his left ankle, aimed at immobilizing him and preventing escape. The attackers then focused on driving away Armstrong's three supporters—his brother Veeramani, driver Abdul Gani, and friend Balaji—by targeting their heads, shoulders, and hands.
The assailants pushed the trio into a 10-ft pit at the construction site and continued their relentless attack on Armstrong's back and right hand as he tried to defend himself. They only ceased their assault when he fell motionless, according to one of the supporters who rushed to his aid upon hearing the commotion. The attackers, numbering between six and nine, then fled the scene on three pre-positioned motorcycles.
Sources revealed that Armstrong had left his pistol inside his car, parked a short distance from the construction site. For the past week, Armstrong, who resided in an apartment complex on K H Road, Ayanavaram, had been visiting the site around 3.30pm and spending at least four hours playing carrom and meeting supporters at his office on the street corner.
Potential motives for Armstrong murder
After a thorough examination of initial evidence and statements, the Chennai police have identified two potential motives behind the brutal murder of K Armstrong, the state unit president of BSP, on Friday evening.
The first motive revolves around the rivalry between Arcot Suresh and Armstrong concerning the Aarudhra gold loan scheme scam, which involved several hundred crores. Suresh allegedly represented the promoters, while Armstrong supported the big investors. Interestingly, Arcot Suresh was murdered at Foreshore Estate on Aug 18, 2023, and among the eight who surrendered was Ponnai Balu, Arcot Suresh's younger brother.
The second motive stems from Ponnai Balu's suspicion of Armstrong's involvement in a recent attempt on his life. According to officers who interrogated Balu, his gang had planned to murder Armstrong either on Arcot Suresh's birthday on July 5, which they successfully carried out, or before his first death anniversary next month.
Regarding the Aarudhra scam, an officer stated, "After the scam was exposed, a BSP worker, Jayapaul, and Armstrong supported a few investors and demanded repayment of their investment." During a meeting held at Arakkonam, where Jayapaul represented Armstrong, Arcot Suresh was also present. A BSP party worker, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed, "Arcot Suresh abused Jayapaul, making gestures at him. He also threatened to eliminate Armstrong." Arcot Suresh's name had previously been linked to the murder of rowdy Bomb Saravanan's brother, Thennarasu, near Thamaraipakkam Koot Road near Periyapalayam in Feb 2015. Thennarasu was a BSP district office-bearer and close to Armstrong.
Following the murder of Arcot Suresh on Aug 18, 2023, his brother Ponnai Balu devised a plan to eliminate Armstrong as revenge for his brother's death, according to the police.
On Saturday, city police commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore informed reporters, "We are looking again into the murder of Arcot Suresh to ascertain if Armstrong had a role in it."
Identification parade planned for suspects in Armstrong murder
The police are preparing to conduct an identification parade for Gokul, Vijay, and Sivasakthi, who were arrested on July 5 at Sembium in connection with the murder of K Armstrong, the state president of BSP. The suspects were remanded in judicial custody on Sunday, and their photographs have been withheld from the media to maintain the integrity of the 'test identification parade', as some witnesses reportedly saw them at the crime scene. The investigators plan to interrogate the suspects while they are in custody.
According to the police, several other individuals are suspected of assisting the murder by providing shelter, transportation, and other forms of support. "We are tracking these suspects, and they will also be apprehended soon," said an investigation officer. The investigation revealed that the suspects had hired a local resident to keep an eye on Armstrong's movements and alert them. Ponnai Balu, the brother of notorious rowdy Arcot Suresh, used this information to plan Armstrong's assassination, the police said.
"We are scrutinising local collaborators who supplied the henchmen with two country-made bombs and the twowheelers that were used during the attack," the officer added. Within three hours of Armstrong's murder on Friday, Ponnai Balu, Ramu, Thiruvengadam, Thirumalai, Selvaraj, Manivannan, Santhosh, and Arul were arrested. Initial investigations indicated that Balu planned the killing to seek revenge for the death of his brother, Arcot Suresh, in August 2023. Armstrong was killed on July 5, which happened to be Arcot Suresh's birthday.