Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, died on December 26 after succumbing to injuries sustained in a brutal assault in Dehradun’s Selaqui area on December 9. The attack, allegedly triggered by racial abuse, has sparked widespread outrage and protests across the Northeast.
The incident occurred when Angel and his younger brother Michael Chakma, 21, were out to buy groceries. According to Michael’s complaint to police, they were accosted by a group of six intoxicated men who hurled racial slurs at them, calling them “Chinki”, “Chinese” and “Momo”. One of the attackers allegedly sneered, “Oye Chinese, have you come to buy pork?”
When Angel responded by saying, “We are not Chinese... We are Indians. What certificate should we show to prove that?”, the situation escalated rapidly. Michael was struck on the head with a kada (bracelet), and when Angel intervened to protect his brother, he was brutally attacked with knives and blunt objects.
The assault left Angel with severe injuries, including lacerations on his back and the occipital region of his head, multiple abrasions on his foot, and a complete loss of power on the right side of his body. Medical reports later revealed that the knife had damaged his spinal cord. His father Tarun Chakma, a BSF jawan posted in Manipur, said, “Angel’s neck was broken in the attack, which led to his death.”
Angel collapsed at the scene and was rushed to Graphic Era Hospital in Dehradun, where he remained in the intensive care unit for 17 days. Friends said he never fully regained consciousness during his hospitalisation.
Following the attack, Michael filed a complaint with police. However, Tarun Chakma alleged that police initially refused to register a report and filed an FIR only two to three days later after pressure from the All India Chakma Students Union and senior officers. Dehradun police, however, maintained that the complaint was filed on December 10, based on which a case was registered and investigation launched.
Police arrested three accused on December 14 and detained two minors. The arrested individuals have been identified as Avinash Negi, 25, Suraj Khawas, 22, Sumit, 25, and two juveniles named Shaurya and Ayush Badoni. The main accused, Yagya Awasthi, remains absconding and is suspected to have fled to Nepal. Police have announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to his arrest and dispatched teams to Nepal to track him down.
After Angel’s death, murder charges were added to the FIR. Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh said the group was allegedly talking among themselves when the confrontation began. “It seemed as if someone was commenting on him (Angel),” he told reporters.
Angel’s body was flown back to Agartala on December 27, where his last rites were performed. The incident has triggered protests across Tripura and the Northeast, with students demanding justice and calling for national legislation against racial hate crimes.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha spoke with his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami, who assured strict action against the culprits. “Such incidents are completely unacceptable,” Dhami said, adding that those who “play with law and order should not expect any leniency”.
The Tripura Chakma Students Association held a press conference in Agartala on December 28, requesting central government intervention following persistent attacks on students from the Northeast in various parts of the country. The organisation planned a candlelight march on December 29 and announced it would submit a memorandum to Chief Minister Saha demanding severe punishment for the perpetrators and compensation for the family.
Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, founder of Tipra Motha Party, condemned the killing and said, “It’s tragic that the patriotic people of the North East are called Chinese and attacked. Those who hurl racist slurs forget that it is because of the brave people of the North East that China cannot enter the country.”
Sajra Debbarma, president of the Tipra Indigenous Students Federation, said, “What’s happening to the Northeast is nothing new. When we go outside Northeast we are taunted.” She urged the central government to address the issue seriously, stating that Northeast people face humiliation in various parts of the country.
Uttarakhand police said they have activated a dedicated Northeast cell across districts to ensure the safety of people from northeastern states living in the state.
