New Delhi: The death of 24-year-old MBA student Anjel Chakma, who died on December 26 in a Dehradun hospital after being critically injured in an assault on December 9, has ignited a heated debate over whether racial abuse played a role in the tragedy.
Chakma, a resident of Unakoti district in Tripura and a final-year student at a private university in Uttarakhand’s capital, was attacked with a knife and a metal bracelet in the Selaqui area. He succumbed to his injuries after being hospitalised for 17 days.
The victim’s father, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan currently posted in Manipur, alleges that the assault followed racial slurs directed at his sons by a group of youngsters. According to the family, the assailants called Anjel and his brother “Chinese momo” and hurled other abusive remarks, prompting Anjel to intervene to defend his younger sibling. The family contends the abuse was racially motivated because of their Northeast Indian origin.
Anjel’s uncle echoed these claims, insisting the death was a case of racism and disputing police assertions otherwise. The devastated family has demanded the harshest possible legal penalties for the accused, including capital punishment or at least life imprisonment.
Dehradun Police, however, maintain that so far there is no evidence to substantiate claims of racial abuse in the case. Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh told PTI that the investigation has recorded statements from local residents and reviewed digital evidence, including CCTV footage, but found no instance of racial slurs being used by the accused against Chakma. The FIR in the case also does not include allegations of racial bias, the officer said.
Police have described the confrontation as a heated dispute that escalated after “banter” among those present, rather than a targeted racial attack. Singh noted that no complaints regarding racial abuse were made to police between the day of the incident and Chakma’s death.
Authorities say five of the six accused named in the FIR have been taken into custody. Two of them are juveniles and have been sent to a correctional facility, while the others are under judicial custody. The main accused, 22-year-old Yagyraj Awasthi, a Nepalese national, remains at large, with a ₹25,000 bounty announced for information leading to his arrest.
Police have stated that the case is under continued investigation and that strict legal action will be taken once all facts are ascertained.
The incident has drawn strong reactions from various quarters, with protests and candlelight vigils reported in parts of the country. Student groups and political leaders have called for justice and greater awareness of alleged hate crimes targeting people from the Northeast, while authorities work to establish all aspects of the case through ongoing inquiries.
