Gangster wanted for TN BSP chief's murder killed in police encounter

Chennai, Sep 23 (IANS) A gangster wanted for the murder of Tamil Nadu BSP president K. Armstrong was killed in a police encounter in Chennai on Monday. 

The Greater Chennai Police shot dead the notorious gangster, known as 'Seizing’ Raja, during an encounter in the early morning hours.

The gangster was nabbed from Andhra Pradesh. When police reached Neelankarai in Tamil Nadu in the early morning hours, he attacked the police. Police said that they had to resort to counter firing which led to the death of the gangster.

Raja was an accused in the murder case of BSP Tamil Nadu state president, K. Armstrong on July 5.

The gangster was an accused in five other murder cases, and several attempt to murder cases were also registered against him

This is the third encounter involving an accused in the K. Armstrong case in the city by the Chennai Police in recent days.

On July 14th, a Chennai Police team shot dead K.Thiruvengadam, one of the prime accused in the murder of K.Armstrong. Police said that when he was brought to Madhavaram Lake premises for identification of weapons used for the murder of Armstrong and removed his handcuffs, he attacked the police. Following this the police had to resort to firing killing the gangster on the spot.

Another gangster Kakathope Balaji was shot dead by the Greater Chennai police team on September 18. Police said that he attacked the police team and injured a policeman at Vyasarpadi where he was in hiding. Police shot dead the notorious gangster who was involved in 64 criminal cases, including murder.

After the murder of K. Armstrong, the new Chennai city police commissioner, K. Arun IPS assumed office. Immediately after assuming office, he told media persons that the police would have to use the language which the gangsters understood.

K.M. Periyappan, a human rights activist from Ashok Nagar, Chennai while speaking to IANS, said, "The encounter killings are not one which a democratic society must resort to. This is a Dravidian government in power and Chief Minister Stalin who is also the state home minister must reign in the police. This is unbecoming of a civil society and corrective measures have to be taken with immediate effect.”

It may be recalled that after the murder of K. Armstrong on July 5 in broad daylight, 32 people, including political leaders, were arrested. There are reports of the involvement of three gangs in the murder and huge money had changed hands for killing Armstrong who was a prominent Dalit leader as well as a practising advocate in the Madras High Court.

--IANS

aal/dpb