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Tripura student murder: Prime accused absconding, hunt extends to Nepal; Rs 10 lakh award announced

Statesman News Service

Tripura student murder: Prime accused absconding, hunt extends to Nepal; Rs 10 lakh award announced. (Pic source: X)


The murder of Tripura student Angel Chakma in Dehradun has triggered widespread outrage, with student bodies staging protests and political leaders across states condemning the incident. As investigations continue, police have intensified efforts to arrest the prime accused, announcing rewards and extending the search beyond national borders.

What Happened in Dehradun

Angel Chakma, a student from Nandanagar in Tripura’s Debram Thakur Para, was allegedly attacked with sharp weapons during a heated argument at a canteen in Dehradun on 09 December. He sustained critical injuries and succumbed on 26 December while undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Superintendent of Police (City) Pramod Kumar said Angel and his brother Michael Chakma were living near Nanda Chowki under the Premnagar police station area. On the evening of the incident, the two had gone to Selaqui for some work when they reportedly got into an argument with local youths and another person from the Northeast.

“A fight broke out between them, during which it is reported that they were attacked with knives and other blunt objects. As a result, they were seriously injured. Their brother took them to the hospital, and subsequently, FIR was registered,” the officer said.

Arrests Made, Prime Accused Still Absconding

Police have arrested five people in connection with the case so far. Two of the accused are minors and have been sent to a juvenile reform home.
The prime accused, identified as Yagya Awasthi, a resident of Nepal’s Kanchanpur district, remains absconding. Police teams are conducting continuous raids, and a special team has been dispatched to Nepal to trace him.

Rewards Announced for Information

Uttarakhand Police have announced a reward of ₹25,000 for information leading to the arrest of Yagya Awasthi.

Additionally, Tipra Motha Party chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma has declared a separate cash reward of ₹10 lakh for credible information that results in the arrest of the main accused in the Angel Chakma murder case.

TISF Holds Candle March in Agartala

Demanding justice for Angel Chakma, members of the Tipra Indigenous Students Federation (TISF), the student wing of the Tipra Motha Party, organised a candle march at Astabal Maidan in Agartala yesterday.

TISF President Sajra Debbarma condemned the killing and urged the Centre to take stringent action. Speaking to ANI, he said, “What’s happening to the Northeast is nothing new. When we go outside the Northeast, we are taunted. The death of Angel Chakma today–this isn’t just Angel Chakma’s death; this is the death of all the people of the Northeast. Even before, in Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi, Northeast, people are being humiliated. I want to tell the Central Government directly: if you cannot give respect, dignity, and love to the people of the Northeast, then give us a separate country; we will take care of ourselves. This is a very serious matter. When people come to the Northeast from other parts of the country, we respect them. We don’t insult them because it is not our culture.”

State Government Assures Strict Action

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami described the incident as “completely unacceptable” and assured strict action against those involved. He spoke to Angel Chakma’s father, Tarun Prasad Chakma, expressing condolences and assuring him of the harshest punishment for the culprits. He said, ” What could be more painful for a parent than this?… We will ensure that the culprits receive the harshest possible punishment…Those who committed this crime have been arrested. One person was from Nepal; he is absconding.”

“We have announced a reward and sent a team to apprehend him,” the Chief Minister said, adding that he has also spoken to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha regarding the case.

Tripura CM Manik Saha said he has been in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government and assured full support to the victim’s family. He said, “I spoke with Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami regarding this matter. He has assured me that he will ensure that justice is served. I said that there shouldn’t be any gaps in the investigation. He assured me that they will deliver justice.”

Congress Blames BJP, RSS for Rising Hate Crimes

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi strongly condemned the killing of the Tripura student and accused the BJP of “normalising hate,” which is leading to such incidents.

Rahul Gandhi urged people to “reflect and confront” and not to become a “dead society.” He said in a post on X, “What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime. Hate doesn’t appear overnight. For years now, it is being fed daily – especially to our youth – through toxic content and irresponsible narratives. And it’s being normalised by the hate-spewing leadership of the ruling BJP.”

“India is built on respect and unity, not fear and abuse. We are a country of love and diversity. We must not become a dead society that looks away while fellow Indians are targeted. We must reflect and confront what we are allowing our country to become,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi further expressed solidarity with the Chakma family and the people of the Northeast.

“My thoughts are with the Chakma family and the people of Tripura and the Northeast. We are proud to call you our fellow Indian brothers and sisters,” he said.

Accusinng the BJP and RSS of fostering hate, Congress MP Manickam Tagore also reacted to the incident. He alleged that years of hate campaigns have led to increased violence against people from the Northeast. He said, “It’s a very sad and heinous crime that a boy, because of his language, looks, and the way he carries himself, has been stabbed to death in this cruel way in a peaceful state like Devabhoomi in Uttarakhand. The reason is very simple. The hate and the hate campaigns of RSS for 100 years have got into the young minds of India, and particularly after the BJP winning in states, this has been bred and propagated. Hate has been inserted, injected into young minds in the wrong way.”

In a post on X, Tagore said the 24-year-old MBA student was racially abused before being stabbed, calling the incident a result of “normalised hate” and criticising the government’s alleged silence on such crimes.

Meghalaya CM Condemns Killing

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also condemned the murder, calling it “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”
“People from the North East are as Indian as every citizen of this country. Racial violence must not be tolerated, and the perpetrators must be punished,” Sangma said in a social media post.
As protests continue and political pressure mounts, authorities say efforts to arrest the absconding prime accused remain a top priority.

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