Brother of K Armstrong recalls final 10 seconds of Tamil Nadu BSP chief's life

The brother of murdered Tamil Nadu Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief K Armstrong has revealed the final moments of the politician's life as he was hacked to death by a group of men. With a bandage wrapped around his head, Veeramani said that during the last 10 seconds of Armstrong's life, he only saw him trying to breathe as the attackers ran towards the former with a sickle in their hand.

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In a video, Veeramani said that he sustained injuries in the incident after two of the six attackers hit him on the head and back.

Sharing details, he said that when he was at a temple at around 7 pm on July 5, he heard a commotion. Veeramani then saw people running towards the commotion and later learnt that his brother was being attacked.

The Tamil Nadu BSP chief was attacked while he was standing near an under-construction house.

"When I heard the commotion, I ran towards the spot, screaming. But I saw three men coming towards me with sickles. Two of them tried to attack me, but missed and I tripped. When I fell on the road, one of the attackers hit on my head and another on my back. Despite the pain, I kept running towards my brother. I saw Armstrong in a pool of blood. I tried to lift him up but as I too had lost blood, I felt dizzy," Veeramani, who could be seen in the video with a bandage wrapped around his head, said.

Highlighting the swift turn of events on the fatal evening, Veeramani further said he could only hear his brother trying to catch breath while the attackers came dashing towards him with sickles. The assailants' bikes were parked along the stretch.

"I didn't see the culprits. It was just 10 seconds. All I could see was the men with sickles running towards me," he said.

Veeramani was later taken to the hospital by his wife.

Earlier, CCTV footage surfaced showing the murder accused fleeing the spot after killing Armstrong. The Tamil Nadu BSP chief was murdered by six unidentified people near his residence in Chennai's Perambur area.

Tamil Nadu Police have so far arrested eight men, who had surrendered on the night of the murder, and detained three more. The police said that according to initial investigations, a previous enmity could be the motive behind the brutal slaying, but Armstrong's family has refused to accept the same. They are firm in their claim that the real culprits are at large and have demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

BSP supremo Mayawati, who visited Chennai and paid homage to Armstrong on Sunday, has also demanded a CBI probe. She has also questioned the law and order in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, K Armstrong was laid to rest earlier in the day in Pothur in Tiruvallur district, hours after the Madras High Court rejected his family's plea to bury the body at the BSP office in Chennai. The burial was held at the end of an almost eight-hour funeral procession from the city.

The High Court on Sunday pointed out that a Hathras stampede-like situation should be averted as it said the burial can be done in any other locations identified by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).

The DMK-headed Tamil Nadu government had opposed Armstrong's family's plea, saying the BSP office was located in a residential area in Chennai. The government later informed the court that the burial was allowed to be held on the land belonging to Armstrong's relative in Pothur and the necessary orders were also given for the same.

Armstrong's family, in the end, accepted the proposal.

Published By: sharangee Published On: Jul 8, 2024