"Dad, You've Done Enough": Tripura Youth's Final Plans for Family Cut Short in Dehradun Tragedy

New Delhi: Just weeks after landing his first job, 24-year-old MBA graduate Anjel Chakma from Tripura told his father he wanted him to take voluntary retirement from the Border Security Force (BSF) and rest after years of service. 

"You've done enough for us," he told his father, a head constable, promising to support the family once he began earning. 

Anjel had secured a placement with a French multinational and was preparing to use his first salary to ease his family's burden. He spoke of arranging a posting closer to home and helping his younger brother with his studies. Relatives said he was calm, grounded and eager to build a steady future. 

Family members noted that growing up with frequent relocations instilled adaptability, a grounded perspective, and an early awareness of life's uncertainties in him.

What happened to him in Dehradun?

But those plans never came to pass. Earlier this month in Dehradun, Anjel and his younger brother were assaulted by a group of men while out shopping. What began, according to his family, as racial taunts escalated into a violent attack. Anjel was badly injured and never regained consciousness before he died on December 26.

Police have arrested five of six accused, including two juveniles, and say the main suspect may have fled to Nepal. A reward has been announced for information leading to his arrest. 

How are authorities and family reacting?

The tragedy has sparked anger and concern across the northeast and beyond. Anjel's father, Tarun Prasad Chakma, has spoken openly about the ordeal, saying he tried “everything possible” to save his son, even pleading with doctors in the hospital.

The Uttarakhand government has offered financial aid to the family and promised strict action against the perpetrators. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said a special team is working to apprehend the absconding suspect.