Chennai: The Chennai City Police on Wednesday arrested N Aswathaman, a Tamil Nadu Youth Congress functionary, in connection with the murder of Tamil Nadu Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President K Armstrong.
This arrest brings the total number of individuals taken into custody for this case to 22.
Aswathaman, an advocate by profession, is the son of Nagendran, a known rowdy and history-sheeter currently imprisoned in the Vellore Central prison. His arrest was facilitated by a special police team based on information provided by other suspects already apprehended in the Armstrong murder case.
In response to his arrest, the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress swiftly expelled Aswathaman and revoked his primary membership, citing that his actions were “inconsistent with the values and principles of the party.” The party’s prompt action underscores its stance against any form of involvement in criminal activities by its members.
The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into the murder of K Armstrong, who was killed on July 5. Armstrong, a 53-year-old Dalit leader and advocate, was attacked by a six-member gang outside his under-construction house in Perambur. The gang, arriving on motorcycles, brutally hacked him to death in front of his brother, Veeramani, and two friends, Balaji and Abdul Ghani.
Following the murder, the police quickly apprehended eight suspects, including the brother of the late rowdy Arcot V Suresh, within hours of the incident. Initially, it was believed that Armstrong’s murder was a retaliatory act for the killing of Arcot Suresh last year.
The investigation has since widened, leading to the arrest of 21 individuals, including members affiliated with various political parties such as the BJP, DMK, AIADMK, and Tamil Manila Congress. The involvement of political figures from multiple parties has added a complex dimension to the case.
Among the five individuals arrested last week were T Pradeep, a former Home Guard volunteer with the City Police, and B Siva, an advocate from Mathur. Both are reportedly close associates of a notorious history-sheeter currently under police scrutiny.
