A public interest litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking urgent judicial intervention following the killing of a Tripura student in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, alleging a continuing constitutional failure in addressing racially motivated violence against people from the North-Eastern states.
The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, pertains to the death of Angel Chakma, a final-year MBA student at a university in Uttarakhand, who died on December 26 after sustaining grievous injuries in an alleged racial attack earlier this month in Dehradun’s Selaqui area.
According to the plea, Chakma was assaulted on December 9 after he and his brother, Michael Chakma, were stopped by a group of youths, reportedly intoxicated, leading to an argument that escalated into violence.
The attackers allegedly used racial slurs and assaulted the brothers with sharp weapons.
Angel Chakma suffered multiple stab injuries, including deep wounds to his neck and abdomen, and was admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The petition referred to Chakma’s last recorded words during the confrontation — “We are not Chinese… We are Indians. What certificate should we show to prove that?” — describing them as a tragic assertion of constitutional belonging before the attack turned fatal.
The plea argued that despite clear indicators of racial and hate-based motivation, such cases are routinely treated as ordinary crimes, resulting in the erasure of motive and dilution of their constitutional significance.
It said the criminal justice system lacks mechanisms at the initial stage to identify racial offences as a distinct constitutional wrong, enabling a pattern of impunity.
Citing earlier incidents, including the 2014 killing of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Taniam, the petition said Angel Chakma’s death was part of a persistent pattern of racial violence against citizens from the North-East, a concern acknowledged by the Union government in parliamentary responses.
The PIL further noted that even after the enactment of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, there is no statutory recognition of hate or racial crimes, no mandatory requirement to record bias motivation at the FIR stage, and no specialised investigation or victim-protection framework.
Such gaps, the petition contended, violate Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21 of the Constitution and undermine the principle of fraternity enshrined in the Preamble.
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It has sought binding guidelines to formally recognise racially motivated violence as a distinct constitutional wrong and to ensure effective protection of dignity, equality and fraternity.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday spoke to the victim’s father and expressed grief over the incident, assuring strict action against those responsible.
According to an official statement, five accused have been arrested so far, while another suspect, believed to have fled to Nepal, is being searched for and a reward has been announced.
Dhami said he was personally pained by the incident and assured the family that the state government would ensure strict punishment for the culprits.
He also said he has discussed the matter with Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and would remain in touch with the Tripura government to ensure all possible assistance to the victim’s family.
