The All-India Chakma Students’ Union (AICSU) has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the tragic death of Anjel Chakma in Dehradun, and transfer of the trial outside Uttarakhand, preferably to the national capital. Anjel, a 24-year-old student from Tripura was fatally assaulted by a group, allegedly in a racially motivated attack, in Dehradun on December 9. He succumbed to his injuries a few days later in hospital.
In a letter addressed to Uttarakhand Chief Minister, AICSU said the family of the deceased alleged serious procedural lapses on the part of the Uttarakhand Police and therefore have lost trust.The organisation alleged that the Selakui Police Station initially refused to register the complaint on multiple occasions and hence there was a delay in registering the FIR. It claimed that the complaint was registered only on December 12 only after sustained pressure from AICSU.
AICSU further demanded action against police officials concerned for ‘distorting’ facts and alleged attempts to shield the attackers. The students’ union accused the police of failing to invoke appropriate legal provisions at the initial stage and attempting to dilute the gravity of the crime by portraying it as a “fight,” while allegedly ignoring clear elements of racial abuse. Raising questions about institutional negligence and lack of transparency during the course of treatment, AICSU said Anjel was admitted to Graphic Era Hospital in a critical condition as a medico-legal case, but the police were not immediately informed. The students also said that the victim’s family members and key witnesses do not feel secure in Uttarakhand, making it imperative to shift the trial outside the state to ensure a fair and impartial judicial process.Demanding immediate arrest of the absconding accused, the students’ union also called for invocation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and compensation of Rs 2 crore to the family of the deceased, citing grave institutional failures and loss of life.The organisation also urged the Uttarakhand government enhance safety measures for students and residents from the Northeast. It suggested that a special police unit on the lines of Delhi Police’s Special Police Unit for the North-Eastern Region (SPUNER), should be created.
