The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Uttarakhand government, seeking an action-taken report on the murder of Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old student from Tripura, who was allegedly attacked by a racist mob in Dehradun on December 9.

Taking cognisance of the brutal murder which has triggered outrage across the Northeast, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said the commission had issued notices to the Dehradun SSP and the district magistrate, to investigate the allegations and sought an action-taken report within seven days and also to ensure the safety of the students of the northeastern region in the entire state.

“We have sought information on the arrests, the circumstances surrounding the incident and other information. We have also issued notices to the DGP and the chief secretary of the state to look into the matter,” Kanoongo said.

He added: “The chief secretary and the DGP have been directed to ensure, on the highest priority, the safety of students from the Northeast across the state.”

Anjel Chakma was a final-year MBA student at a private university in Dehradun. On December 9, when he and his brother were buying household items in Selakui, a group of intoxicated men began using caste-based slurs against them. When Chakma objected to their remarks, they turned violent and attacked him with rods and knives. He died on December 26 after fighting for his life for 17 days at a hospital in Dehradun.

His father, a BSF jawan currently posted at Tangjeng in Manipur, alleged that his son was “brutally attacked” when he tried to defend his brother, who was targeted with racial slurs by the attackers. Anjel told them that he “was also Indian, not Chinese”, but they attacked him with knives and blunt objects, the father said. On Monday, Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh, however, said that “prima facie, there was no evidence of racial violence in the case”.

Anjel had suffered injuries to his head and spine, which proved fatal. Uttarakhand police have sent a team to nab one of the accused, who is on the run and believed to be in Nepal. So far, three men have been arrested and are in judicial custody, and two juveniles, aged 15 and 17, have been sent to correctional homes in connection with the case.

According to the proceedings, a bench of the NHRC, presided by Kanoongo, took cognisance under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. The complainant has alleged that the student from Tripura was brutally attacked and killed in Dehradun, in a “racially motivated incident” while studying outside his home state.

According to the complaint, the person was “targeted with racial slurs and assaulted after asserting his identity as an Indian citizen”, reads the proceedings. “The incident has caused nationwide outrage and is stated to reflect deep-rooted racial discrimination against people from the Northeast, failure of local authorities to prevent the violence, and lack of adequate protection mechanisms,” it adds.

The complainant alleged that the incident amounts to a “serious violation” of the victim’s right to life, dignity, and equality and had sought the intervention of the NHRC in the matter and requested intervention, accountability, and systemic measures to prevent such hate-based crimes.