Agartala, Dec 29: The Tripura government has sanctioned a one-time ex gratia assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old student from the state who succumbed to injuries after being brutally assaulted in Dehradun, Chief Minister Manik Saha announced on Monday.
Chief Minister Saha said he spoke for the second time with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami regarding the incident and discussed steps to ensure strict action against those responsible for the crime. In a post on his X handle, Saha stated that Dhami had assured him that all accused would be brought to justice and that the law would take its due course. “In this hour of grief, we stand firmly with the bereaved family,” he said.
On behalf of the Tripura government, the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to support the victim’s family. Saha had earlier spoken to Dhami on Saturday, when the Uttarakhand Chief Minister informed him that five accused had been arrested, placed in judicial custody, and that further investigation was underway.
Angel Chakma, a final-year MBA student at a university in Uttarakhand and son of a Border Security Force (BSF) constable, was grievously injured in an attack on December 9. According to officials and family members, he was assaulted by a group of miscreants who allegedly hurled racial slurs at him. He succumbed to his injuries on December 26 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dehradun. The student belonged to the Chakma tribal community.
The incident triggered widespread outrage across the Northeastern region. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, and several political parties and organisations condemned the assault, terming it a “horrific hate crime,” and demanded exemplary punishment for the culprits.
Several student and youth organisations also staged protests, including a candlelight march in Agartala on Sunday. Angel Chakma’s mortal remains reached Agartala on Saturday, and his last rites were performed at his ancestral home in Machamara village of Unokoti district on Sunday.
