SIT formed to probe Tripura student’s death, police say no evidence so far of racial abuse

Dehradun, Dec 30 (PTI) Dehradun Police has constituted an SIT to investigate the killing of the Tripura student Anjel Chakma here, even as they said the probe so far has found no evidence of racial abuse.

Police said the youth was assaulted after tempers flared up when he objected to some "banter" among the attackers who had come in a group to a liquor shop.

In a press conference, Dehradun SSP Ajay Singh said police are very close to apprehending the man who allegedly stabbed Anjel in Nepal.

"The complete truth behind the incident will only be known after the arrest of the main accused (Yagyraj) Awasthi, who stabbed Angel," he said.

An SIT has been constituted under the leadership of an officer of the rank of Circle Officer. He said that the investigation conducted so far has been transferred to the SIT which will ensure that no aspect is overlooked.

He also said that the investigation into the case is being conducted in a fair, independent, and transparent manner, and any new evidence found will be duly recorded.

Singh said the police had taken note of social media posts attributing a racial motive to the incident. "Our investigation so far has found no evidence of racial discrimination or violence," the SSP said.

He said that between December 9, the day of the incident, and December 26, when Anjel died, no complaints of racial abuse were made during interactions with the police. The SSP added that the FIR filed in the case "does not mention any allegations of racial bias." While the complainant had mentioned the use of "casteist slurs" against the brothers, the investigation revealed that "two of the accused themselves belong to the Scheduled Tribe community".

Providing details of the incident that occurred in the Selaqui area, Singh said a birthday party was hosted on December 9 by one of the accused, Manipur-native Suraj Khwas.

Singh said police have collected all CCTV footage related to the incident, all of which happened in a crowded place within 40-50 seconds around 6:15 pm on December 9.

The SSP said the two groups, including the deceased and his brother on one side and the six persons on the other, had a heated argument. In the confusion, the dispute escalated and led to the incident.

"There was some banter among the guests. The victim’s side found certain remarks offensive, which led a dispute. In the fight that followed, Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael Chakma were injured. Anjel died during treatment at a hospital," the SSP said, adding that Anjel had suffered fatal injuries to his spine and neck in the incident.

The police officer said the accused and the victim did not know each other and the attack happened "in the heat of the moment".

The investigation has revealed that the accused had no criminal history, he said. The SSP said that Awasthi picked up the knife, which has been recovered by the police, from a nearby egg cart to stab Anjel.

Singh said statements of local residents have been recorded and digital evidence, including CCTV footage, has been collected. "So far, no instance of any accused using racial slurs against the deceased has come to light," he said.

The SSP said five of the six accused named in the FIR taken into custody. Two of them were found to be underage and sent to correction home, while three are under judicial custody. The other accused, Yagyraj Awasthi (22), a Nepal national who had earlier worked in Haridwar and other places, is absconding.

Singh said that police teams are making efforts to apprehend the absconding accused and he will be arrested soon.

He said that the Uttarakhand Police has also increased the reward announced on Awasthi from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh and a non-bailable warrant has been issued.

SSP Singh said the safety of all students is the responsibility of the police. Students from all over the country come to Dehradun to study, including more than 2000 students from the northeast.

"About 250 students from Tripura alone are studying here...those who commit such acts will not be spared," he said.

Anjel Chakma, a final-year MBA student at a private university here, was seriously injured when he was allegedly attacked by some youngsters with a knife and a bracelet on December 9. He died on December 26, after being hospitalised for 17 days.

His father, a BSF jawan currently posted in Tangjeng in Manipur, had alleged that his son was "brutally attacked" when he tried to defend his brother, who faced racial slurs and was called "Chinese" by the attackers.

The assailants called his sons "Chinese momo" and hurled other racial abuses, the father of the victim told PTI over the phone. PTI DPT SKY SKY