What began as an ordinary grocery run ended in a brutal, racially charged killing that has shaken the Northeast and ignited nationwide outrage.

Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, died in a Dehradun hospital after battling for his life for more than two weeks. His crime: standing up to men who mocked his identity and questioned his nationality.

On the evening of December 9, Anjel stepped out with his younger brother Michael to buy groceries in the Selaqui area of Dehradun. They never returned the same. A group of six men allegedly stopped them, hurled racial slurs, and mocked them as 'Chinese'.

Witnesses and friends say Anjel did not shout. He did not provoke. He calmly asserted who he was. “We are not Chinese. We are Indians. What certificate should we show to prove that?” Anjel reportedly said. Minutes later, knives were drawn.

According to police and eyewitness accounts, the verbal abuse escalated rapidly into savage violence. Anjel and Michael were stabbed repeatedly while the attackers continued hurling abuses. Anjel sustained deep wounds to his neck and spine. Michael also suffered serious injuries and remains hospitalised.

Anjel slipped in and out of consciousness but never fully recovered. After 14 days of fighting for survival, he succumbed to his injuries on Friday.

Friends who stood vigil at the hospital described him as gentle, calm, and unfailingly kind. “He was one of the least confrontational people I knew,” said a friend, requesting anonymity. “All he did was say he was Indian. That’s what killed him.”

His body was flown to Agartala on Saturday, where grief quickly turned into anger. Protests erupted across Tripura and other northeastern states, with students demanding justice and a national law against racial hate crimes.

Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, chairman of the Tipra Motha Party, who assisted Anjel’s family and medical treatment, condemned the killing. “It is tragic that patriotic people of the Northeast are called Chinese and attacked,” he said. “These incidents don’t just destroy families, but they divide the country.”

Khowai YTF district president Prosmit Debbarma described the incident as deeply disturbing. “It is very unfortunate. Anjel Chakma and Michael Chakma were two brothers pursuing MBA courses in Dehradun. They had gone to the market to buy some items.

While returning to their residence, some youths started calling them ‘Chinese’, ‘Chinky’, ‘Minky’ and ‘Momo’. Michael got off his bike and told them they were Indians and should not be called such names. After this, the miscreants attacked Michael,” Debbarma said in Agartala, Tripura.

Police confirmed that five of the six accused, including two juveniles, were arrested on December 14. The main accused, Yagya Awasthi, is suspected to have fled to Nepal. Two police teams are searching for him, and a ₹25,000 reward has been announced.

The case, initially registered under charges of causing hurt and criminal intimidation, was upgraded to attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy as Anjel’s condition worsened. After his death, murder charges under BNS Section 103(1) and common intention under Section 3(5) were added.

As protests grow in colleges across the Northeast and student organisations in Dehradun begin to speak out, Anjel Chakma’s final words echo far beyond the street where he was stabbed — a chilling reminder of how racial hatred can turn deadly in minutes.