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‘Ensure safety of Northeast students on priority’: Rights panel issues notices to Uttarakhand govt after Tripura student’s murder

Anjel Chakma was assaulted by a group of 6 people in Dehradun on December 6 and died while undergoing treatment on December 26

2 min readDehradunUpdated: Dec 31, 2025 05:21 AM IST

The recent attack on Anjel Chakma began as racial slurs and when resisted, escalated to a brutal stabbing that led to his death. The racism underlying such attacks is not a recent phenomenon — it has been evident for decades now.

The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the government of Uttarakhand, seeking a detailed report on the murder of Anjel Chakma, a student from Tripura who was assaulted by six men in Dehradun on December 9 and died on December 26.

Anjel was with his brother Michael Chakma when they were assaulted in Dehradun’s Selaqui area by the assailants who also allegedly called them racial slurs. Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh, however, said on Monday night that “prima facie, there is no evidence of racial violence” in the case.

Taking cognizance of the matter after a complaint by human rights NGO Sahyadri Rights Forum, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said the commission has issued notices to the Dehradun SSP and the District Magistrate, seeking a factual report in seven days. “We have sought information on the arrests, the circumstances surrounding the incident and other information. We have also issued notices to the DGP and the Chief Secretary of the state to look into the matter. We have sought that the state ensure the protection of students from the Northeast and inform the commission of the steps taken,” Kanoongo said.

In a post on X, he further said, “The Chief Secretary and DGP have been directed to ensure, on the highest priority, the safety of students from the Northeast across the state.”

Anjel had suffered injuries to his head and spine, which proved fatal. As the murder caused outrage both in Uttarakhand and in Northeast India, the Uttarakhand Police dispatched two teams to find one of the accused, who is on the run and believed to be in Nepal, where he is from.

SSP Ajai Singh said on Monday, “A hot clash took place after which the victim was injured and later died during treatment. There was confusion that the accused made a remark, which resulted in the fight,” he said.

Three men have been sent to judicial custody, and two juveniles, aged 15 and 17, to correctional homes in connection with the case.

Aiswarya Raj

Aiswarya Raj is a Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, covering Uttarakhand. She brings sound journalistic experience to her role, having started her career at the organisation as a sub-editor with the Delhi city team. She subsequently developed her reporting expertise by covering Gurugram and its neighbouring districts before transitioning to her current role as a resident correspondent in Dehradun. She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) and the University of Kerala. She has reported on the state politics, governance, environment and wildlife, and gender. Aiswarya has undertaken investigations using the Right to Information Act on law enforcement, public policy and procurement rules in Uttarakhand. She has also attempted narrative journalism on socio-economic matters affecting local communities. This specific, sustained focus on critical regional news provides the necessary foundation for high trustworthiness and authoritativeness on topics concerning Uttarakhand. ... Read More

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