Armstrong Murder Part 1: There’s more to it than meets the eye Premium

Dalit leader Armstrong's murder plot unravels, leading to arrests of 27, including political party members, in Chennai.

Dusk had fallen on July 5, 2024, when Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Tamil Nadu president K. Armstrong was inspecting his 2,400-square foot plot on a narrow Venugopalaswamy Koil Street at Perambur, where the foundation was being laid for his new house. He was chatting with a few people at the site, located close to his relatives’ houses and the BSP office.

Around 7 p.m., eight persons — four of whom were clad in the uniform of a food delivery platform — arrived at the spot on two-wheelers, one after another. Before Armstrong could sense the lurking danger, the gang swiftly and indiscriminately attacked him with machetes and knives. Unarmed and unguarded, Armstrong tried to shield himself by raising his hands. He, however, slumped to the ground and thereafter he was stabbed at least 31 times.

His brother K. Veeramani, who was nearby, rushed to his rescue, but was hit on the head by the assailants. Armstrong’s driver sustained cuts to the back of his shoulders.

Two others were also injured as they tried to stop the attack. The eight-member gang escaped from the narrow lane on two-wheelers by brandishing weapons at people who had gathered by then. The critically injured were taken to Apollo Hospitals on Greams Road. But Armstrong died on the way.

Later that night, the eight alleged assailants walked into a police station at Anna Nagar in an act of surrender. They said they were related to a gangster in north Chennai, ‘Arcot’ Suresh, who was killed last year, and that they had murdered Armstrong for revenge as they believed that he was responsible for the death of Suresh. They were V. Ponnai Balu, 39; G. Arul, 32; K. Manivannan, 25; K. Thiruvengatam, 33; D. Ramu, 38; J. Santhosh, 22; S. Thirumalai, 45; and D. Selvaraj, 48.

The Sembium police opened an investigation into Armstrong’s murder based on Mr. Veeramani’s complaint and were quick to rule out a political angle in the case. But as the investigation progressed, the confessions of those who had surrendered did not add up.

Cut to today. Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A. Arun and his special teams arrested 27 persons, including members of the Congress, the AIADMK, the BJP, and the Tamil Manila Congress, for complicity in the murder. Gang leaders P. Nagendran and ‘Sambav’ Senthil have been named as the accused no. 1 and 2.