Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], December 30 (HBTV): No evidence of racial remarks has emerged in the preliminary investigation into the murder of Tripura student Anjel Chakma, a senior police official said on Tuesday.
Speaking with ANI, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dehradun Ajay Singh rejected allegations of delay in filing an FIR, stating that the complaint was registered 24 hours after the incident. He said that of the six accused, five have been arrested, while one of Nepali origin remains absconding.
‘In the preliminary investigation, no evidence of racial remarks has emerged in the inquiry in this case. The probe is still underway. I reject the allegations that the police did not file an FIR because the complaint about the incident was filed 24 hours later. One accused of Nepali origin remains absconding, while the other five accused, including one from Manipur and one from the Bhoksa community, have been arrested,’ SSP Singh said.
The statement comes after the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) issued notices to executive authorities in Uttarakhand, seeking a detailed action-taken report within three days in connection with the brutal murder of 24-year-old Anjel Chakma, who belonged to the Scheduled Tribe community.
The notices were issued to the Uttarakhand Director General of Police, the Dehradun District Magistrate, and the Senior Superintendent of Police. The commission also sought an explanation for the alleged delay in registering the FIR.
In a complaint submitted to the NCST, All India Chakma Students’ Union Senior Vice President Vipul Chakma alleged that Anjel was subjected to a fatal attack by the assailants on December 9. He further alleged that, in addition to the delay in registering the FIR, the police attempted to shield the accused.
Meanwhile, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo said that cognisance had been taken of the murder of Anjel Chakma, a student from Tripura, and authorities had been instructed to ensure the safety of students from the northeast residing in Uttarakhand.
‘I have taken cognisance of the murder of a student from Tripura in Dehradun. Notice has been issued to the state government seeking a report on action taken so far. The Chief Secretary and DGP have been directed to ensure, on the highest priority, the safety of students from the Northeast across the state,’ Kanoongo said in a post on X.
Chakma, an MBA student, was attacked by a group of miscreants armed with knives and other blunt objects in Dehradun on December 9 and later died while undergoing treatment at a hospital.
The killing has sparked widespread outrage across the political spectrum, with leaders condemning the incident and demanding swift justice. Five of the accused have been arrested, including two minors who have been sent to a juvenile reform home. The sixth accused, a Nepalese national, remains at large, with a reward of INR 25,000 announced for his capture.
The Uttarakhand government has assured that all possible measures are being taken to ensure the perpetrators face the harshest possible punishment and to safeguard students from the northeast across the country.
However, the opposition has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party governments at the Centre and in the state of spreading ‘hatred’, which they allege led to the killing. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of ‘normalising hate’, saying this was contributing to such incidents.
‘What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime. Hate does not appear overnight. For years now it has been fed daily, especially to our youth, through toxic content and irresponsible narratives, and it is being normalised by the hate-spewing leadership of the ruling BJP,’ Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X. ‘India is built on respect and unity, not fear and abuse. We must not become a dead society that looks away while fellow Indians are targeted,’ he added.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday stressed the urgent need to ensure the safety and protection of people from India’s Northeast region following the death of Anjel Chakma.
‘There should be protection for the people of the Northeast,’ Rijiju said.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had earlier approved financial assistance for Tarun Prasad Chakma, the father of Anjel Chakma. (ANI)