Armstrong killing: Encounter victim’s body handed over to family


The body of K Thiruvengadam, who was shot dead by police in an “encounter” on Sunday morning, was handed over to his family members after a post-mortem examination early Monday morning. Thiruvengadam was cremated at Moolakothalam following the autopsy.
Madhavaram Judicial Magistrate Deepa initiated an inquiry into the encounter on Sunday night. Magistrate Deepa visited the scene where Thiruvengadam was killed and conducted interviews with his family members to gather more details about the incident.
Thiruvengadam (33) was one of the eleven suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Tamil Nadu Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President K Armstrong. Armstrong was brutally hacked to death on July 5. According to police reports, Thiruvengadam was shot dead when he allegedly opened fire on a police team while being taken to secure weapons used in Armstrong’s murder.
Police stated that Thiruvengadam was being transported to his house in Manali when he requested a stop near Retteri Lake to attend to a nature’s call around 6 am. During this stop, he allegedly pushed the officers and fled. An hour later, police teams, led by Inspectors Mohammed Buhari and Saravanan, tracked Thiruvengadam to a metal shed in Vegetarian Nagar near Puzhal. Police claim Thiruvengadam opened fire at them with an illegal weapon he had hidden in the shed, prompting them to shoot back, resulting in his death.
Meanwhile, the other ten suspects arrested in connection with Armstrong’s murder are scheduled to be sent to judicial remand on Tuesday evening, according to police sources. The police have been actively investigating the case and collecting evidence.
On Sunday, hours after the encounter, the police released CCTV footage showing the arrested individuals hacking Armstrong to death. The footage has provided crucial evidence in the ongoing investigation, shedding light on the brutal nature of the crime.