'Completely Unacceptable': Uttarakhand CM Dhami On Tripura Student Angel Chakma's Death

Dehradun: Days after the death of 24-year-old postgraduate student from Tripura, Angel Chakma, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's office said that such incidents of racial hate crime are “completely unacceptable” in the state, and the government will deal strictly with such “anti-social elements.”

The death of the Tripura student has sent shockwaves across the country has has sparked a debate over the safety of students from the northeast in other states of India. 

In a strong message against such crimes triggered by racial discrimination, the Chief Minister's Office said, “The Uttarakhand government has taken the murder case of Tripura student Angel Chakma very seriously. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that such incidents are completely unacceptable in the state, and the government will deal strictly with anti-social elements. Those involved in such crimes will not be spared.”

The CM's office further said that five accused have been arrested in connection with the murder of Angel Chakma. Among them, two accused were minors and have been sent to a juvenile reform home. 

Dhami's office added that the police are continuously conducting raids to arrest one absconding accused, on whom a reward of Rs 25,000 has been announced. A police team has also been sent to Nepal in search of the absconding accused, his office said. Chief Minister Dhami has also instructed the police to ensure the arrest of the absconding accused at the earliest and assured that the accused will soon be in police custody.

Offering his condolences to the bereaved family, the Chief Minister reaffirmed that the state government is committed to ensuring the safety of every citizen living in Uttarakhand. 

Earlier on Saturday, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha spoke with his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami regarding the incident.

Angel succumbed to his injuries on December 25 at a hospital in Dehradun after battling for his life for 16 days. On December 9, Chakma confronted a group of men who hurled racial slurs at him and his younger brother Michael when he went out to get groceries. As per reports, the victim was stabbed during the confrontation and he died on Friday. 

Following his death, Anjel's body was flown to Agartala where the locals erupted in anger. A case had also been lodged on December 12 following a complaint by Michael Chakma.

Out of 6, five accused- including two juveniles- have been arrested on December 14 and the main accused Yagya Awasthi, is believed to have fled to Nepal and cops have sent teams to trace him and announced a reward of Rs 25,000. 

Meanwhile, student groups in the northeast have begun protests against such incident, demanding a national law against racial hate crimes.

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