- By Yashashvi Tak
- Wed, 31 Dec 2025 01:03 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Tripura student Anjel Chakma’s uncle has strongly criticised the Uttarakhand police for claiming that the racial slurs directed at the MBA student were made in “jest”, after Anjel was brutally murdered for objecting to locals who mocked him and his brother Michael by calling them “Chinese momo”.
"When they went to the market to buy some things, some people, who were already drunk, made some comments, like calling them Chinese. And when Michael told them not to say such things, they attacked him," Momen Chakma told NDTV. "Then Angel went to protect him, and they started beating and stabbing him… no one tried to save them. Uttarakhand Police said this is not racism, but it is indeed a case of racism," he added.
What Did The Dehradun Police Say?
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh initially said the incident was not racially motivated, noting that one of the accused was from Uttarakhand and that the comments were allegedly made in jest. According to him, preliminary evidence suggested the remarks were light-hearted and later misinterpreted.
However, amid growing pressure, he constituted a special investigation team and clarified that the racial angle would also be examined. So far, five people have been arrested, while the sixth accused, reportedly of Nepalese origin, is absconding. Police teams are continuing efforts to track him down.
Tripura Student Death Top Updates
1. Twenty-four-year-old Tripura student Anjel Chakma died on December 26 after being attacked along with his brother Michael by a group of six people in Dehradun’s Selakui area on December 9.
2. The attack followed a confrontation in which the assailants allegedly hurled racial slurs at the brothers, including calling Anjel “Chinese momo,” according to his father.
3. Anjel objected to the remarks, repeatedly telling the attackers that he was Indian, after which the group allegedly assaulted him using knives, a kada and other blunt objects.
4. He was rushed to Graphic Era Hospital in Dehradun, where he remained in critical condition for 17 days before succumbing to his injuries on December 26.
5. After the incident, police launched a major search operation and have so far arrested five of the six accused, including three adults and two juveniles.
6. The arrested adults have been identified as Suraj Khwas (22) from Manipur, Avinash Negi (25) and Sumit (25), while the sixth accused, Yagya Awasthi, remains absconding.
7. Police said Awasthi fled to Nepal following the incident, and a reward of Rs 25,000 has been announced for information leading to his arrest.
8. Anjel’s father, Tarun Chakma, a BSF jawan currently posted in Manipur, alleged that police initially refused to register an FIR and did so only after pressure from the All India Chakma Students Union.
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9. In a conversation with PTI, Tarun Chakma said his son suffered a broken neck in the attack and appealed for justice.
10. Anjel Chakma’s last rites were performed in his native Machmara village in Tripura’s Unakoti district on December 27 amid widespread demands for justice across the Northeast.