Killing a key accused in encounter will seal the truth behind the Armstrong murder case: BJP leader Annamalai
The Hindu
State BJP president questions State government's handling of Armstrong murder case, demands transparency and CBI inquiry.
State BJP president K. Annamalai said here on Sunday that the killing of Thiruvengadam, a key accused in the BSP leader Armstrong murder case, would seal the truth behind the murder, and the State government continued to conceal the facts.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Annamalai said the police claimed that Thiruvengadam was a prime accused and a conspirator. Several leaders, including the alliance parties of the DMK, had been demanding the State to bring out the real motive and real culprits behind the murder. “Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also promised that the motive and the conspiracy behind the murder would be brought out. Now, Thiruvengadam was killed in a police encounter. How would the police solve the case when the conspirator was killed?” he asked.
Raising questions over the police theory on the circumstances that led to the killing of Thiruvengadam, Mr. Annamalai asked how a man who had surrendered to the police in the case could have a gun with him. What was the need for the police to take Thiruvengadam to a secluded place in the morning? Several points of the police theory had no logic, he charged. There were several theories being floated over the murder. If he was alive, several unanswered questions could have been solved. What was the need for the police to close the case abruptly when several questions remained unanswered? he asked. The encounter did not inspire confidence that the State government was taking steps to bring out the real facts behind the murder.
The BJP president said that the Home Ministry had sent a letter to the State government, seeking a report over the Armstrong murder case. The action of the Home Ministry was in response to the demand to order a CBI inquiry into the murder of Armstrong. The police should not have resorted to killing a person by encounter, especially when the suspect was a key accused.