The State General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Youth Congress, N Aswathaman, was apprehended by Sembium Police on 7 August 2024 in connection with the slaying of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader K. Armstrong. Armstrong was brutally murdered by a gang on 5 July 2024 close to his residence in Perambur.
A high-ranking official from Chennai City Police confirmed that Aswathaman, serving as the state general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress, is the offspring of north Chennai don Nagendran, presently incarcerated in Puzhal penitentiary.
Upon probing, it was revealed that Aswathaman, a lawyer, had longstanding animosity with Armstrong. At one juncture, Aswathaman had menaced Armstrong with a firearm some months earlier during a dispute over a piece of land in Morai near Sholavaram. Nagendran, recently released on parole, attempted to mediate in the land quarrel by contacting Armstrong, who, however, declined to engage with him, as stated by the police official.
Following an inquiry conducted by the special police unit with Aswathaman on Tuesday, he was detained on Wednesday, 7 August 2024. In connection to the Armstrong homicide case, a total of 22 individuals, including Aswathaman, have been taken into custody, with one of the suspects, Thiruvengadam, meeting his demise in a police encounter near Madhavaram on 14th July.
TNCC’s Dismissal Of Aswathaman
Following his arrest, Aswathaman was ousted from membership of the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress promptly. In an announcement, M. Lenin Prasath, the president of the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress, declared that Aswathaman’s actions prompted the expulsion. These actions were judged incompatible with the values and principles of their party.
“The Tamil Nadu Youth Congress is dedicated to upholding the utmost standards of honesty and discipline among its members,” the statement outlined.
Insiders within the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress revealed that Aswathaman, a general secretary of TN Youth Congress, also held the position of president in the National Students Union of India, the student faction affiliated with the Indian National Congress.
Bahujan Samaj Party President Armstrong
K Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu state unit president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was brutally murdered on 5 July 2024 evening near Perambur in Chennai. He was attacked by a gang of six assailants while chatting with friends and supporters near his residence. The attackers, armed with machetes and sickles, threatened anyone who tried to intervene, causing Armstrong’s friends to flee. His family rushed to the scene upon hearing his cries, only to find him grievously wounded and lying in a pool of blood. They quickly took him to a nearby private hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
The police are exploring the possibility of a rivalry with a criminal from North Chennai, currently incarcerated, as a motive for the murder. In August 2023, Arcot Suresh and his associate Madhavan were assaulted by a gang near Pattinampakkam in Chennai.
During the incident, Arcot Suresh tragically lost his life, while Madhavan survived. Five months later, Madhavan died in another attack by a separate gang. Ponnai Balu, the brother of Arcot Suresh, has been implicated in the murder of BSP leader Thennarsu back in 2015. His other brother, known as bomb Saravanan, is suspected in the murder of Arcot Suresh last year, according to police sources.
Currently, Ponnai Balu is accused in the murder case of BSP leader Armstrong. He is the sibling of Arcot Suresh, a notorious criminal who was slain by a rival gang in Chennai the previous year. Chennai police have arrested Arcot Balu, along with seven others, in connection with Armstrong’s murder, a senior police official confirmed.
Armstrong, a lawyer, had a troubled past with previous criminal cases, though his legal troubles reportedly ceased a decade ago. So far in connection to the crime, 22 individuals have been arrested by the police.
(With inputs from The Hindu)
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