“Is this the value of a life?”: Pradyot slams Uttarakhand govt over Rs 25,000 reward in Anjel Chakma murder case

Tipra Motha Party founder and Tripura’s royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on December 29, strongly criticised the Uttarakhand government for announcing a cash reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to the arrest of the main accused in the murder of Anjel Chakma, calling it an insult to the value of a human life.
Expressing outrage over the move, Pradyot announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh from his own pocket for credible information that leads to the arrest of the prime suspect in the case.
Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura’s Unakoti district, was brutally attacked on December 9 in Dehradun after he allegedly objected to racial slurs hurled at his younger brother, Michael Chakma. Anjel succumbed to his injuries after battling for his life for over two weeks.
Pradyot said he was shocked to learn that the Uttarakhand government had fixed a reward of just Rs 25,000 for information on the main accused.
“Is this the value of Anjel Chakma’s life? Is this a joke? If a state government believes a life is worth only Rs 25,000, then it is shameful,” he said.
Announcing the higher reward, Pradyot said, “I will provide this cash reward from my own pocket, but don’t make fun of our people.”
The case has sparked widespread outrage, particularly across the Northeast, with growing concerns over racial abuse and the safety of students from the region in other parts of the country. Several accused have been arrested so far, while the prime suspect is believed to have fled the country.