Dehradun: A Special Investigation Team has been constituted by Dehradun Police to probe the killing of Anjel Chakma, a final-year MBA student from Tripura, even as investigators said their findings so far do not indicate any racial motive behind the attack that led to his death after 17 days in hospital. The case has also reached the country’s highest court, with a public interest litigation filed in the Supreme Court seeking judicial intervention against what the petition terms a continuing failure to prevent racial discrimination and violence against citizens from the northeastern states.
Addressing a press conference, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said the SIT, headed by an officer of Circle Officer rank, has taken over the investigation to ensure that “no aspect is overlooked”. He added that the probe is being conducted in a fair, independent and transparent manner and any fresh evidence will be duly recorded. “The complete truth behind the incident will only be known after the arrest of the main accused, Yagyraj Awasthi,” Singh said, noting that police were close to apprehending him.
According to police, the incident occurred around 6.15 pm on December 9 in the Selaqui area, where a birthday party was being hosted by one of the accused, Suraj Khwas, a native of Manipur. Investigators said a group of six youths had gone to a liquor shop when a verbal exchange broke out after Anjel Chakma objected to what police described as “banter” among the group. “There was some banter among the guests. The victim’s side found certain remarks offensive, which led to a dispute,” Singh said. The argument escalated within 40 to 50 seconds in a crowded area, culminating in violence. Police said Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael Chakma were injured in the scuffle, with Anjel sustaining fatal injuries to his spine and neck. He was hospitalised for 17 days before succumbing to his injuries on December 26. Investigators said the accused and the victims did not know each other and the assault took place “in the heat of the moment”. The knife allegedly used in the attack was picked up from a nearby egg cart and has since been recovered.
Singh said all CCTV footage from the area has been collected, statements of local residents recorded, and digital evidence examined. Five of the six accused named in the FIR have been taken into custody. Two were found to be underage and sent to a correction home, while three are in judicial custody. The sixth accused, Awasthi, a 22-year-old Nepal national who had earlier worked in Haridwar and other places, remains absconding. Police have increased the reward for information leading to his arrest from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh and secured a non-bailable warrant against him.
Responding to allegations of racial abuse circulating on social media, the SSP said the investigation so far has found no evidence of racial discrimination or violence. He pointed out that between December 9 and December 26, no complaints of racial abuse were raised during interactions with police, and the FIR does not mention allegations of racial bias. While the complainant referred to the use of casteist slurs, Singh said two of the accused belong to the Scheduled Tribe community. “So far, no instance of any accused using racial slurs against the deceased has come to light,” he said.
The victim’s father, a Border Security Force jawan posted in Tangjeng in Manipur, has alleged that his son was brutally attacked when he tried to defend his brother, who was allegedly subjected to racial abuse and called “Chinese”. He told PTI that the assailants used terms such as “Chinese momo”. Police said these claims are being examined as part of the SIT probe. Meanwhile, the PIL filed on December 28 seeks enforcement of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and (g), and 21 of the Constitution, citing Anjel Chakma’s death as part of a broader pattern of discrimination against people from the northeast and other frontier regions. Singh said student safety remains a priority for the police, noting that more than 2,000 students from the northeast, including about 250 from Tripura, study in Dehradun. “Those who commit such acts will not be spared,” he said.with agency inputs