PIL Filed by Supreme Court After Death of Tripura Student Anjel Chakma: Call for Making Racial Slur a Hate Crime
A tragic occurrence has triggered national outrage and a new appeal to the Supreme Court to demand better legal safeguards against racial discrimination and violence in India. The tragedy involves a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura named Anjel Chakma, who died from injuries caused by an alleged racially motivated attack in Dehradun.
What Happened in Dehradun?
Anjel and his younger brother were allegedly racially abused on 9 December 2025, when they were shopping in the Selaqui area of Dehradun, by a few men. According to eye-witness accounts and the family, the brothers were teased for their north-east looks using phrases such as “Chinese” and “Chinese momo.” Anjel retorted, “We are neither Chinese. .. We are Indians. What do we have to produce as an certificate that we are Indians?” Nobody listened, and things went bitter.
The brothers were assaulted using sharp and blunted instruments. Anjel was left seriously injured, specially his neck and spine, which forced immediate admission to Graphic Era Hospital. He struggled for more than two weeks in ICU, where he eventually died on 26 December 2025.
Although police are continuing to investigate, it is clear that according to authorities the FIR has not included any claims relating to racial prejudice as yet, nor has any such racial factor been found in their own inquiry so far.
The Supreme Court PIL: What It Seeks
In reaction to this death, which was so tragic, Public Interest Litigation was filed in the Supreme Court by Anoop Prakash Awasthi, an advocate on record. The petition seeks:
- Make the recognition of racial slurs and attacks based on race as a “hate crime” under Indian law instead of common offenses.
- Direct the Center and States to establish specially formed police units and nodal agencies to address racially motivated violent crimes.
- Develop interim binding guidelines on investigation, reporting, recording bias motivation in FIRs, and victim protection until an enabling law is passed.
- Make awareness and sensitisation campaigns against racial discrimination mandatory in educational institutions and public domains.
The petition avers that under the present criminal justice framework, racial motive most often gets erased or missing, meaning that such violence itself falls short of constitutional seriousness and weakens Articles 14 on equality, 15 on non-discrimination, 19 on freedom, and 21 on right to life. It also points out a series of incidents related to racial abuse and violence continuing against citizens from northeastern states over these years.
Broader Reactions and Follow-Up
This case has led to massive demands for justice on various levels. There have been demand for more severe punishment in student organizations coming from the northeast states as well as various civil societies that advocate for anti-racism legislation.
Human rights bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have taken note of the matter and sought reports from the Dehradun administration regarding the issue and the importance of safeguarding students and citizens from similar incidents of violence.
At the same time, there have been public discussions about whether there was an element of racism or whether it was an argument that turned violent. The police have pointed out that at present, there is nothing on the FIR relating to racial abuses, and the matter of racial prejudice is still under investigation.
Why This Matters
It could prove to be a turning point in recognizing and dealing with racial discrimination and hate crimes within the Indian Judicial System through this PIL. The matter is likely to prompt a more serious response to racially motivated violence from the Indian government if the Supreme Court provides proper guidelines or directions on this topic.
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