Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on Monday offered ₹10 lakh for information on the absconding main accused in the Anjel Chakma murder case, as calls for speedy justice continued to dominate political and social discourse.
Debbarma announced his reward on social media, seemingly in response to the ₹25,000 offered by the Uttarakhand government for information on the key accused, who is reported to have fled to Nepal.
The 24-year-old MBA student died on December 26 at a private hospital in Dehradun after battling spinal and back injuries for 14 days. A six-member group had targeted Anjel and his younger brother, Michael, taunting them with terms like “Chinky” and “Chinese".
Anjel was cremated in his native Unakoti district, Tripura, on Sunday.
Five of the accused have been arrested. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told the deceased’s father that a police team was searching for the absconding accused and assured that the government would take all possible steps to ensure justice for Anjel.
In a video, Debbarma said he had learned about the ₹25,000 reward announced by the BJP-led Uttarakhand government. “₹25,000? This is the cost of Anjel’s life? If a state government has announced ₹25,000 reward, I am declaring ₹10 lakh reward to anyone for information leading to the arrest of Anjel’s murderer. I will pay from my own pocket, but please don’t make fun of our people,” he said.
The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) had on Sunday announced ₹3 lakh ex-gratia for Anjel’s family. The youth wing of Tipra Motha also held a rally on Sunday evening, demanding swift justice.
The incident has sparked nationwide outrage, with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi condemning the killing. Gogoi demanded a swift investigation and early submission of the chargesheet, emphasising that the government must address the “growing social disregard, dehumanisation and disrespect” toward people from the Northeast. He called for the inclusion of Northeast culture and history in school and college textbooks.
“There must be efforts to understand the literature of the Northeast, to listen to its music, and to try to understand the languages spoken by its people,” he said. He suggested that government officials, students, administrators, and people from other parts of the country “should be encouraged to visit the Northeast” to familiarise themselves with its people and way of life.
Gogoi said Anjel was subjected to “racist slurs” such as “Chinese,” “momo” and “Chinky,” and criticised the BJP and its government, asserting that people from the Northeast “are not Chinese". He called the emerging information “deeply disturbing".
According to Anjel’s family, local police in Dehradun did not act urgently. Gogoi termed it unfortunate that it took 12 days to register the case, with the FIR filed only after student protests.