After stabbing Anjel Chakma in Dehradun, attackers bought liquor and celebrated a birthday

• Anjel Chakma died after being stabbed in a violent market clash in Dehradun.
• Police arrested three adults and two juveniles; one accused remains absconding.
• No clear evidence of racial motive, but protests erupted over alleged slurs.

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After allegedly attacking two brothers, Anjel and Michael Chakma, at a market in Dehradun, the accused did not flee immediately. Instead, police say they went to buy liquor and celebrated a birthday, even as one of the victims lay critically injured.

According to the police, one of the accused, Suraj Khwas had invited five friends to celebrate his son’s first birthday at Selaqui market in Dehradun on the evening of December 9. The group planned to buy liquor from a nearby shop and then gather at the tea stall run by Avinash Negi. The group included Khwas, Negi, Yagya Raj Awasthi, Sumit, and two juveniles.

While standing near the liquor shop, the group crossed paths with brothers Anjel Chakma and Michael Chakma, who were at the market at the same time. What began as a brief argument quickly turned violent. Within minutes, Anjel was stabbed and Michael suffered serious injuries.

In his complaint to the police, Michael alleged that the group had used racial slurs against them before launching the attack. He said the verbal abuse escalated into physical violence without warning.

As Michael struggled to take his injured brother to the hospital, police said the accused continued with their plans. They allegedly bought liquor, went to Negi’s tea shop and celebrated the birthday as planned.

Anjel Chakma, a native of Tripura, remained in hospital for over two weeks. On December 26, he died during treatment. Doctors said he had suffered severe injuries to his head and spine, which proved fatal.

The incident triggered widespread outrage in Uttarakhand and several northeastern states. Three men have been sent to judicial custody, and the juveniles, aged 15 and 17, to correctional homes. Anjel was allegedly called names like “Chinese” and “momo” before the stabbing, leading to protests and demands for strict action.

Uttarakhand Police has formed special teams to trace Yagya Raj Awasthi, who is absconding. Police believe he fled to Nepal, where he is originally from.

However, on Monday night, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh said there was no clear evidence of racial violence at this stage. “Prima facie, there is no evidence of a racially motivated attack. A heated argument took place, which later turned violent,” he said.

The officer said confusion over remarks made during the argument may have led to the clash.

An FIR has been registered under several sections, including murder and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police said three accused who belong to the SC/ST community will not be charged under the SC/ST Act.

According to an officer involved in the investigation, the trouble started when the accused were laughing among themselves. “The Chakma brothers asked what they were laughing about. The argument quickly escalated. One of the juveniles hit Michael with a kada. All of them were involved in the assault,” the officer was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

He added that Awasthi allegedly grabbed a knife from a nearby fruit pushcart and stabbed Anjel. The knife has not yet been recovered.

Police said Avinash Negi, 25, lives in Shankarpur, while Sumit, 26, lives in Tilwari. Suraj Khwas, 21, originally from Manipur, lives in Dhulkot. Awasthi, 25, is from Krishnapur in Nepal and was doing odd jobs in India. His father is a priest at a temple in Haridwar.

Negi’s mother, who visited the hospital where Anjel was admitted, said she understood the anger of the victim’s family. She said her husband, an Army man, died before Negi was born. Negi had tried to join the Army but failed the exam twice and later opened a tea shop with friends. After the incident, he did not return home for two days.

Sumit’s family said he worked in a factory earning Rs 12,000 a month and had become a father just six months ago. His mother said she found out about his arrest only when she went to the police station.

One of the juveniles had dropped out of school after his registration was cancelled due to poor attendance and aggressive behaviour, the school principal said.