The father of Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura who died in Dehradun after a racial attack, has claimed that the police delayed filing an FIR in the case, which has raised questions about the initial handling of the incident by the police. Angel studied at a private in the Uttarakhand capital and succumbed to his injuries on Friday.
Tarun Chakma, who is a BSF jawan and is currently posted in Tangjeng in Manipur, explained that his son was “brutally attacked” with knives and blunt objects after he tried to protect his brother during a confrontation. Angel’s younger brother was subjected to racial slurs, and Tarun said that his sons were called “Chinese momos.”
According to reports, Angel had reportedly told his attackers that he “was also Indian, not Chinese”, but that did not stop the attackers from assaulting him with weapons
Police did not initially file an FIR
Tarun alleged that the police refused to file an FIR initially about the incident and claimed that they only filed an FIR “two to three days later after pressure from the All India Chakma Students’ Union and senior officers.”
According to police, Angel had received multiple blows to his head and back with a sharp object and a ‘kadaa’ (bracelet) in a fight with 5–6 people that happened at a canteen. Police have detained five suspects, however, one accused, who is reportedly a Nepali resident, is absconding and is believed to have fled to his native country. Police have said that they would send a team to Nepal to track the accused down.
Tarun further added that “Angel’s neck was broken in the attack, which led to his death, those responsible for his son’s untimely death should be punished. ‘I have lost my son and now he should get justice.”
Angel was laid to rest in Machmara village in Tripura’s Unakoti district. He was in the final year of his MBA and had also secured a good job before the tragedy.
