‘Called Chinese, momos’: Slain Tripura student’s kin seek justice
Victim was brutally attacked on December 9 in Dehradun
When Angel Chakma was battling for his life in a Dehradun hospital, his father was standing guard in conflict-hit Manipur — a constable in the Border Security Force (BSF), bound by duty even as his only son slipped away.
On Sunday, the 24-year-old Tripura student was cremated at his native village in Unakoti district, leaving behind parents devastated by grief, debt and unanswered questions after what is widely being described as a racially motivated killing.
Angel had remained hospitalised for over two weeks after being brutally attacked on December 9 in Dehradun. His father, Tarun Prasad Chakma, rushed from his posting and spent his entire lifetime earnings on his treatment. There were no concessions at the private hospital, no relief for a jawan’s family, only rising bills and a desperate hope that Angel would survive, but he died on December 26.
The attack began, according to rights groups and family accounts, with racial abuse. Angel and his younger brother Michael had gone to Selakui market to buy groceries when a group of men allegedly hurled slurs such as “Chinki”, “Chinese”, “Nepali” and “momos”. When the brothers objected, the harassment turned violent. Michael was struck on the head with a metal kada, while Angel was stabbed in the neck and abdomen.
Former BJP MP Tarun Vijay, who met the family, said it was impossible to hold back tears while speaking to Angel’s mother. “She lost the entire world she had woven around her son, a brilliant young man full of dreams and promise,” he said, calling the murder an unpardonable crime on Uttarakhand’s “Devbhumi”.
Vijay said Angel’s father was deeply uncomfortable with the conduct surrounding the postmortem, alleging a lack of transparency and noting that the doctor who conducted it went on leave immediately thereafter. Angel’s life ended not because of who he was, but because of how he looked. And for that, a family has been left broken, poorer, and forever waiting for justice.
Meanwhile, students and citizens across Dehradun held candlelight vigils to express solidarity with the family. Amid mounting outrage, the Uttarakhand Government said it was treating the case with utmost seriousness. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said such incidents were “completely unacceptable” and warned that no leniency would be shown to anti-social elements.
As per the CMO, five accused have been arrested so far, including two minors who have been sent to a juvenile reform home. One prime accused remains absconding, with a reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest. Police teams are conducting raids and have also been sent to Nepal in search of the fugitive.
