DEHRADUN: The family of Anjel Chakma, the young Tripura native killed in Dehradun earlier this month, pushed back sharply against the city police chief’s public dismissal of racial slurs as a motive behind the murder – a claim central to the family’s version of events and backed, they say, by the firsthand account of Anjel’s brother, Michael, who witnessed the attack. Momen Chakma, Anjel’s uncle and among the first relatives to arrive in the city after the assault, said the police were choosing to ignore the words of the only eyewitness. “Michael is not just a family member, he’s the complainant in the case. He was there when it happened. The incident lasted minutes – how do you expect anyone to stop and film something like that?” he told TOI Tuesday. “Instead of listening to the person who saw it unfold, they are issuing public statements without even completing the investigation.“ Faced with mounting questions, Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh clarified Tuesday that Michael’s complaint only mentioned “casteist slurs”. He said, “The family stayed in Dehradun until Dec 27 but did not mention racial slurs to the police…If they want to share additional information, we are open to including it in the probe.”If the family of Tripura native Anjel Chakma is saying this (racial slurs motive behind the murder) now, we are not aware of it. However, the case is still under investigation,” Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh said. Police were gathering all possible evidence to build a strong case before filing the chargesheet, he added. Dehradun police, citing ethnic background of some of the accused, had said they found no indication of racial provocation in the case. The family, still grieving, called this “premature and deeply dismissive”. Anjel, 24, and his younger brother Michael, were in Dehradun when they were allegedly attacked by a group of six men after objecting to their disruptive behaviour. According to Michael and other family members, the attackers shouted racial slurs – words like “chinki”, “Chinese”, and “momo” – before turning violent. Michael sustained injuries, and Anjel later died of his wounds. “It’s not just about one word or one insult,” Momen said. “It’s about whether our voices are even considered valid when we speak.” SSP Singh had on Monday pointed out that two of the six accused were from Manipur and Nepal, which, he said, made a racial motive unlikely. That reasoning has since triggered public criticism, particularly from members of North-East civil society and activists familiar with the region’s complex ethnic and linguistic diversity.
