The killing of K Thiruvengadam, a 33-year-old history sheeter by Chennai Police on Sunday has stirred a hornet’s nest across Tamil Nadu. Thiruvengadam, an accused in the murder of K Armstrong, State president of BSP on 5th July had surrendered to the Police along with seven of his associates within hours of the incident.

Mayawati, BSP’s all India President, who flew down to Chennai on hearing about the murder of Armstrong had said that the latter’s murder was part of a political conspiracy and those who surrendered to the police were not the real culprits. She had also demanded a CBI probe into the murder of Armstrong.

K Annamalai, the chief of Tamil Nadu BJP, expressed shock over the encounter killing of Thiruvengadam. Annamalai, himself a former IPS officer, had asked the State Government to hand over the probe of the Armstrong murder case to the CBI. Reacting to Sunday’s murder of Thiruvengadam, the BJP leader said that there were many unanswered questions. “It is unbelievable to see a culprit, and that too a history sheeter with many murder charges against him, was taken to an isolated area without handcuffs. Taking into consideration his past misdeeds, Thiruvengadam should have been handcuffed before taken to the spot for recovery of arms used in the murder of Armstrong,” said Annamalai. He also said that it was unheard of persons like Thiruvengadam was taken for arms recovery without any body frisking.

He alleged that three DMK functionaries — Arul, Kalai Ma Srinivasan and Sathish — had been involved in Armstrong’s murder and asked when Chief Minister MK Stalin would break his silence on this.

Jacob Thomas, former director general of police, Kerala, is of the view that a probe should be ordered to find out how Thiruvengadam got a weapon in his hands while he was still in police custody. “The murder of Thiruvengadam has been carried out with the connivance of the police. It has been done by the police to save the real culprits,”Jacob told The Pioneer. Mayawati, before emplaning for Delhi after offering homages to Armstrong had left strict instructions with the BSP cadre not to take law into their hands. It is an open secret in Tamil Nadu that Armstrong, a strong Ambedkarite, was completely against any kind of alliance with the DMK which he always described as a caste party.

Thol Thirumavalavan, MP and founder of the VCK, an outfit of the SC/ST, who initially wanted a CBI probe into the murder of Armstrong, has fallen silent since the encounter killing of Thiruvengadam. He alleged that the BJP and some other Opposition parties were trying to foment trouble in the State.