TN Youth Congress functionary arrested in Armstrong murder case; expelled from party

CHENNAI: In yet another arrest of a functionary of a political party in connection with slain BSP President K Armstrong's murder, City Police on Wednesday arrested N Aswathaman (32), a functionary of Tamil Nadu Youth Congress, increasing the number of persons arrested in the case to 22.

After his arrest, State President of TNYC, M Lenin Prasath issued an official statement stating that Aswathaman was removed from primary membership of youth congress.

Aswathaman is also an advocate and the son of rowdy and history-sheeter, Nagendran, now in Vellore Central prison.

He was secured from Vyasarpadi by a special team based on the information provided by the accused arrested earlier in Armstrong's murder case. Police sources said that Aswathaman and his father had an enmity with Armstrong over a multi crore land deal near Sholavaram.

Few months ago, while out on parole, Nagendran had attempted for peace talks with Armstrong, but it did not materialise, police sources said.

Incidentally, Aswathaman had attended the 16th-day ritual after Armstrong's death. Social media was also abound with photographs of Aswathaman at the birthday function of Armstrong's daughter.

Apart from Aswathaman, political functionaries from DMK, BJP, AIADMK, TMC were arrested by the city police in connection with Armstrong's murder. Police had also engaged divers from Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) to recover phones dumped in Kosasthalayar river. On July 20, G Haridharan of AIADMK, a lawyer and a ward councillor in Kadambathur panchayat union in neighbouring Thiruvallur district was arrested for helping to dump the phones,

Last week Police arrested five persons including T Pradeep (29), a former Home Guard volunteer with the City police, and B Siva (35) of Mathur, an advocate, said to be a close associate of a notorious history-sheeter, who is under police scanner.

Eight persons including the brother of Arcot V Suresh were arrested within three hours of the murder of BSP leader Armstrong in Perambur on July 5. Police had initially claimed that Armstrong was murdered in retaliation for Arcot Suresh's murder last year.

Meanwhile, In an early morning "encounter" on July 14 near Madhavaram, City police shot dead K Thiruvengadam (33), one of the suspects, when he allegedly opened fire at the police team which rounded him up after he fled while being taken to secure weapons used in the murder of Armstrong's murder.