Chennai Police form 10 special teams to probe murder of Tamil Nadu BSP president Armstrong

Armstrong was hacked to death by an unidentified mob of 6 people near his residence in Perambur, Chennai on Friday evening.

"On July 5, evening, while Armstrong (52 years), State President, Bahujan Samaj Party was standing in front of his house at Venugopal Samy Kovil Street, Perambur (K-1 Sembium PS limits), unknown persons assaulted him with knives. Due to the assault, he sustained bleeding injuries and subsequently police admitted him at Apollo Hospital with the assistance of the passersby. Doctors who examined him declared that he was dead," as per a Chennai Police press release.

"In this regard, 10 special teams have been formed under the leadership of Tr. Asra Garg IPS., Addl.COP (North) to probe the motives behind the murder and to arrest the culprits. Special teams are intensifying the search to arrest those culprits," the release added.

After BSP Tamil Nadu president Armstrong was hacked to death by an unidentified mob in Chennai on Friday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers and supporters blocked a road in Chennai and protested against the murder of Armstrong. They demanded the immediate arrest of the accused.

Earlier, a large number of people also gathered outside Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital in Chennai, where the body of Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was brought.

Meanwhile, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed the ruling DMK party over the death of BSP Tamil Nadu president Armstrong and said that if such a leader is assassinated, then what is the point of criticizing the law and order in the state.

In a post on X, Palaniswami said, "It is shocking and painful after knowing BSP State President Armstrong was hacked to death. Condolences to BSP cadres and his family. If the state president of a national party is assassinated, what is the point of criticizing law and order in the DMK regime? How do criminals get the courage to kill? I strongly condemn the DMK chief who has pushed law and order to such a level that crimes are committed without fear of police, government or the law."

"I request MK Stalin to give assurance for peaceful last rights of Armstrong without any obstacles," he added.

BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad asserted the immediate arrest of the murderers in the state.

"Our BJP party leader has already pointed out that the law and order situation is deteriorating in Tamil Nadu several times. Today, a Dalit leader has been murdered. Armstrong was a young and active leader of a national party," Prasad said.

"As we already said several times, the law and order is worst here in Tamil Nadu and today's murder of a party leader itself is an example of that. We ask this Tamil Nadu Government to make sure of immediate arrest of the murderers," he added. (ANI)