Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the killing of Tripura student Anjel Chakma in Uttarakhand as a tragic incident.

Chakma had reportedly objected to racial slurs and later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Sarma said such racially motivated incidents against people from the Northeast have been rare in recent years.

“The northeast region is not outside India; it is a part of India. Such incidents were not seen in the last five years, and this is a very unfortunate one. We hope such incidents will not be repeated,” he said, stressing that such behaviour cannot be tolerated.

“The state government has condemned the incident and conveyed its condolences. I believe the culprits will be booked and punished,” the Chief Minister said, stressing that people from the Northeast are equal citizens of India. He added, “Awareness and education are necessary to prevent such acts.”

Chakma and his brother Michel were involved in an argument on December 9 with some individuals who allegedly made racial remarks.

When the brothers objected, a fight broke out, and Chakma was stabbed and beaten with blunt objects, leading to his death more than two weeks later.

Uttarakhand police said one of the accused is from Manipur and claimed the remarks did not fall into the category of a racist comment.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Dehradun) Ajai Singh said on Monday that the remarks were made “in jest.”

However, Chakma’s family rejected the claim.

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