The murder of Tamil Nadu Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief K Armstrong unfolded in a horrifyingly swift five minutes. At 7 pm on Friday, Armstrong, standing near his under-construction house in a congested neighborhood in Perambur’s Venugopal Swamy Koil Street, was called out as ‘Anna’ by three assailants. These individuals were dressed in regular pants and shirts, blending seamlessly into the crowd. However, a second group of three assailants, stationed at the spot, were disguised as food delivery agents, complete with bagpacks, pretending to check directions on their phones.
As Armstrong turned to engage with the strangers, the assailants disguised as delivery agents pulled out machetes from their bags, unleashing a barrage of blows upon the Dalit leader. The other three assailants immediately joined in the assault. Eyewitnesses described the first blow landing on Armstrong’s left cheek from behind. Before he could react, a second blow struck his left ankle, aiming to immobilize him and prevent him from fleeing.
The attackers then shifted their focus to Armstrong’s supporters – his brother Veeramani, driver Abdul Gani, and a friend Balaji. They viciously attacked them on their heads, shoulders, and hands, forcing them into a 10-foot pit dug up at the construction site. With their supporters subdued, the assailants continued their brutal attack on the Dalit leader.
“They left only when he fell motionless,” recounted one of Armstrong’s supporters, who was among those who rushed to help upon hearing the commotion. The assailants, estimated to be between six and nine in number, then escaped on three motorcycles, which were already waiting.
According to a Times of India report citing police, the assailants’ effortless navigation through the congested streets of the residential area indicated a prior reconnaissance of the location. The neighborhood was unusually quiet, with residents keeping their doors and windows closed to shield themselves from the noise and dust generated by the construction site. Even the laborers had reportedly left the site by 6:30 pm.
