Hundreds of students from the Northeast protested at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday demanding justice for Tripura student Anjel Chakma, who died of stab injuries in Dehradun. The protest was organised by the Northeast Students' Society of Delhi University (NESSDU) and other groups.
Chakma, 24, from Unakoti district in Tripura, was attacked by six individuals on December 9 after objecting to racial slurs directed at him and his younger brother. He succumbed to his injuries at a Dehradun hospital on December 26. Dehradun police have arrested five of the six accused; one, Yagyaraj Awasthi from Nepal, remains absconding.
Pointing Thokchom, NESSDU president, demanded a CBI investigation, proper compensation for the family, and legal protection against racial abuse for Northeast students. Bipul Chakma, vice-president of the All India Chakma Students' Union, alleged delays by the Uttarakhand administration in investigating the case and said the Northeast community has faced repeated racial attacks.
Also read: SIT formed to probe killing of Tripura student in Dehradun
Protesters accused the police of delaying FIR registration by three days and alleged negligence by the hospital where Chakma was admitted, claiming officials failed to inform authorities promptly. They also alleged a cover-up to dilute racial motives and protect the accused.
The students submitted a joint statement urging the Centre and Uttarakhand government to set up a special police unit for the Northeast, implement MP Bezbaruah Committee recommendations, establish fast-track courts, helplines, and police sensitisation programmes.
Recalling the 2024 death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania in Delhi, protesters warned that such attacks are part of a larger pattern of racial violence against Northeast students, stressing immediate systemic reforms to prevent recurrence.
Follow us
