CHENNAI, JULY 7 :  The final journey of slain BSP Tamil Nadu Unit President K Armstrong, who was hacked to death on Friday night, commenced on Sunday evening, amid tight security.

A large number of people, including BSP cadres, relatives, friends and leading personalities, participated in the final journey from a school in Perambur in North Chennai, where it was kept since this morning to enable public to pay their homage. The final journey began at around 1630 hrs.

Thousands of people, including political party leaders, filed past the body of Armstrong and paid their last respects. After a 20 km long journey, the mortal remains of Armstrong would be laid to rest at Pothur village coming under Villivakkam Panchayat Union near Red Hills in Tiruvallur district of the State.

Since Mr Armstrong has embraced Buddhism, his body would be buried after special rites to be performed as per Buddhist customs. Elaborate security arrangements were made all along the 20 km route to ensure that the procession passes off peacefully.

Police sources said more than 2,000 police personnel were deployed all along the route as part of tight security arrangements. After post mortem yesterday morning at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, the body was handed over to the family late last night and itwastakentohAynavaramresidence.
Later, it was taken to a school in Perambur and kept for the public to pay their homagewhere prominent political leaders, including BSP Supremo and former Uttar PradeshChief Minister Mayawati, who flew down from Lucknow by a special flight, paid homage to the body of Mr Armstrong and demanded a CBI probe into the killing.

Leaders of various political parties including TNCC President and Congress Legislature Party leader K.Selvaperunthagai, VCK leader and Lok Sabha MP Thol Thirumavalavan, BJP leader Ms Tamilisai Soundararajan, DMDK General Secretary Ms Premalatha Vijayakanth, Naam Tamizhar Katchi and actor-producer-turned politician Seeman and film personalities like Paa.Ranjith and Vetrimaran paid their last respects.

The final journey of Mr Armstrong began after the Madras High Court ordered that his body would be buried in Tiruvallur district. Passing orders on an urgent plea filed by his wife Ms Porkodi seeking permission to bury the body at the BSP party office in Perambur in Chennai city, Ms Justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan said there was no problem in erecting a memorial for him at the party office after getting permission from the state government.

After Additional Advocate General (AAG) J. Ravindran submitted that officials were ready to permit the burial of his body in an alternative one acre private land in Tiruvallur district and that the Panchayat has passed a resolution, the court passed orders following which Armstrong’s final journey commenced.

The Judge also said he should be given a dignified burial and directed the police to provide adequate security to ensure that the burial was held peacefully.(UNI)