Last Updated on December 30, 2025 12:00 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
AMN / NEWS DESK
The death of a 24-year-old student from Tripura after a brutal knife attack in Dehradun has sparked widespread outrage across the Northeast, reigniting concerns over the safety of students from the region in other parts of the country.
Angel Chakma, an MBA student, succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Thursday after battling for life for more than two weeks. He was allegedly attacked on December 9 along with his younger brother, Michael, after they objected to racial slurs hurled at them. According to the family, the assailants, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, racially abused the brothers before launching a violent assault.
Police said Angel was stabbed multiple times and was rushed in a critical condition to Graphic Era Hospital, where he remained in the intensive care unit. Despite sustained medical efforts, he could not survive his injuries.
The incident has triggered strong reactions across Tripura and the wider Northeast, with student organisations and civil society groups expressing anger and anguish over what they describe as yet another instance of racial violence against people from the region. Many have questioned the safety and sense of belonging for Northeast students studying outside their home states.
Five persons — Avinash Negi, Shaurya Rajput, Suraj Khawas, Ayush Badoni and Sumit — have been arrested so far. However, police said the prime accused is still absconding, further fuelling public anger. Investigations are ongoing, and efforts are under way to trace the main suspect.
Angel hailed from Pecharthal in North Tripura district and was a resident of Debrampara. His father is a Border Security Force BSF constable currently posted in Manipur. The family has demanded stringent punishment for all those involved, insisting that justice must not be delayed.
Political leaders and student bodies have strongly condemned the killing. TIPRA Motha Party founder and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma expressed deep grief, stating that while the world was celebrating Christmas, Tripura and the Chakma community lost a young life. Chakma student organisations termed the incident a grave failure of law and order and demanded a transparent, time-bound investigation, stressing that justice will remain incomplete until all accused are brought to book.