CBI probe needed to find out "mastermind" behind Armstrong's murder: Annamalai

Salem (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 15 : BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai on Monday reiterated his party's demand for a CBI probe into the killing of Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Tamil Nadu chief, K Armstrong to find out the "mastermind" behind the murder.
Annamalai also raised various suspicions in the encounter killing of Thiruvengadam, one of the arrested persons in connection with the Armstrong murder case.
Thiruvengadam, a history sheeter, was killed in a police encounter near Madhavaram in Chennai on Saturday night, police said.
"The CCTV footage released by the police in Armstrong's murder case is real. The police have identified the culprits based on the photos of the people who appeared in the footage. But who hired them and helped to commit this crime? We need to find out who was the mastermind behind this," Annamalai told reporters here.
"Political Death in the Armstrong Murder Case? Or some other death? We request a CBI inquiry into the matter. And there are various questions, like why a surrendered person should run away and how the gun came into his hand. We accept that Thiruvenkadam is a criminal. Who is behind Thiruvenkadam," he added.
According to the police, Thiruvengadam is said to have followed Armstrong for several days, ahead of the murder, keeping a constant tab on the BSP leader's activities.
According to police, Thiruvengadam was taken to a place near Madhavaram at 7 am on Sunday to find the weapons that were used to kill Armstrong.
Police said that in the meantime, the accused tried to attack one of the sub-inspectors and tried to escape from the place, after which the police team opened fire at him.
The accused was then rushed to the Stanley Government Hospital, Chennai, where the doctors examined him and declared that he was dead.
Thiruvengadam, who was killed in the encounter, was accused of the murder of Thennarasu alias Thenna, Tiruvallur district president of BSP, reported at Thamaraipakkam Koot Road near Periyapalayam in 2015.
Armstrong was hacked to death last Friday evening by a group of unidentified men near his residence in Perambur, Chennai.
The Chennai police suspect the involvement of associates of gangster Arcot Suresh, who was murdered in August last year, in the murder.
In an interview with ANI on Sunday, Asra Garg, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), North Chennai, said, "After sustained interrogation, due analysis, and diligence regarding the facts and circumstances of each suspect, we have arrested eight people. We have seized seven blood-stained weapons, one Zomato t-shirt, a Zomato bag, and three bikes that were used in the commission of the offence.
"Highlighting the suspected motive behind the killing, ACP Garg mentioned that the associates of gangster Arcot Suresh, who was assassinated last year, believed it was "conspired" by Armstrong."
In continuation of this, the special teams formed by the Chennai police have secured three more suspects. The preliminary investigation so far indicates that the motive prima facie appears to be based on different types of analysis.
In August 2023, Arcot Suresh was murdered by a gang; his family and associates believe it was done under the direction or in conspiracy with Armstrong, who was murdered on Friday," he stated.
The Chennai police formed special teams to comprehensively probe the case.