Who arrested Raja? Notorious gangster accused of murdering BSP leader Armstrong killed in police operation – The Week

A notorious gangster accused of murdering BSP leader K Armstrong in Chennai was killed in an alleged encounter with police on Monday morning. Raja, also known as Seizing Raja, was arrested by the Chennai police on Sunday night from his hideout in Andhra Pradesh. He was killed in Chennai on Monday morning.

This is the second killing of an accused in the Armstrong case. Another informant, Thiruvengadam, was killed in an encounter with police near Madhavaram in Chennai in July.

Raja, a class A+ hoodlum, had been on the run since he was implicated in Armstrong's murder. The BSP leader was hacked to death on July 5 and Raja was one of the 28 people on the police radar.

According to the Chennai police, they have been actively searching for Raja for the past few months. A few days ago, they received information that he was hiding in Andhra Pradesh. He was nabbed last night and brought to Chennai on Monday morning. The police also seized some pistols and weapons from him.

However, on Monday morning, he tried to escape from the police by attacking them at Neelankarai on the ECR stretch. The police had to fire at him in self-defence, officials claimed. Though he was immediately rushed to Royapettah Hospital, the police declared him dead on arrival.

Also read: K. Armstrong murder: Arcot Suresh's brother Balu vowed to kill BSP leader

Who captured Raja?

Raja, 49, is reportedly facing over 33 cases in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, including five murder cases and seven attempted murder cases.

Hailing from East Tambaram, Raja started his life of crime after he was hired by a private bank to seize vehicles of defaulters, earning him the nickname. He also started getting kangaroo courts and real estate deals, with his activities concentrated in suburbs and Kancheevaram.

Meanwhile, the alleged killing of the second accused in the Armstrong case has created a stir. Thiruvengadam, who was killed in a police encounter a month after Armstrong's murder, was in police custody for five days before he was shot dead.

These are not the only deaths in clashes in Tamil Nadu. This is the third clash linked to Armstrong's murder since A Arun took over as the Chennai Police Commissioner on July 8, 2024. Last week, another notorious gangster, 'Kakka Thoppu' Balaji', was killed in an encounter with police after reportedly attacking policemen. Balaju was wanted in over 50 cases.