Dehradun Police on Tuesday said their investigation into the death of Tripura student Anjel Chakma has found no evidence of racial abuse. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Singh said the incident
occurred in the heat of the moment during an argument, and not due to racial discrimination.
Speaking at a press conference, Singh said police were aware of social media posts suggesting a racial motive. “Our investigation so far has found no evidence of racial discrimination or violence,” he said.
Between the day of the incident, December 9, and December 26, when Anjel died, no complaints of racial abuse were recorded. The FIR in the case also “does not mention any allegations of racial bias,” Singh added.
The incident took place in the Selaqui area during a birthday party hosted by one of the accused, Suraj Khwas, a resident of Manipur. The SSP said two groups — the deceased and his brother on one side and six other individuals on the other — were involved in a heated argument.
“There was some banter among the guests. The victim’s side found certain remarks offensive, which led a dispute. In the fight that followed, Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael Chakma were injured. Anjel died during treatment at a hospital,” Singh said, adding that the student suffered fatal injuries to his spine and neck.
Police have taken five of the six accused into custody. Two were found to be underage and sent to a correction home, while three are in judicial custody. The sixth accused, Yagyraj Awasthi, 22, a Nepalese national, is absconding. A reward of Rs 25,000 has been announced for information leading to his arrest, and a non-bailable warrant has been issued.
Speaking to CNN-News18, SSP Singh clarified that the complaint was received 24 hours after the incident, against unknown persons, and that the legal process began promptly. “We have collected all the evidence, and after verifying the details, it took 48 hours to register the FIR. Immediate action was taken once the complaint was received,” he said. He also confirmed that sections of the FIR were applied which benefit SC/ST communities.
Anjel, a final-year MBA student at a private university in Dehradun, was attacked on 9 December with knives and blunt objects.
His father, a BSF jawan posted in Manipur, had told news agency PTI that Anjel was assaulted while defending his brother, who was reportedly called “Chinese momo” by the attackers.
The victim’s father added that his son told them he “was also Indian, not Chinese,” but was attacked with knives and blunt objects.
(With inputs from PTI)
