Tripura student’s death leads to Supreme Court plea to treat racial slurs as hate crime

A public interest litigation has been lodged with the Supreme Court following the death of Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura who died from injuries sustained during an alleged racially motivated assault in Dehradun.

Chakma succumbed to his injuries on December 26, 2025, more than two weeks after being stabbed during a confrontation on December 9 in the Selaqui area of Uttarakhand's capital. The petition, filed by Anoop Prakash Awasthi under Article 32 of the Constitution, calls for judicial intervention to address what it terms the state's failure to prevent and respond to racial violence against citizens from India's north-eastern states.

According to reports, Chakma and his younger brother were shopping when a group of men allegedly targeted them with racial abuse based on their appearance. Both brothers were beaten and stabbed, with Chakma suffering severe neck and spinal injuries that left him unconscious throughout his treatment.

The petition contends that India's criminal justice system lacks any mechanism to recognise racial bias as a distinct aggravating factor during the initial stages of investigation. This results in such offences being processed as ordinary crimes, the plea argues, leading to what it describes as diluted constitutional gravity and a pattern of impunity.

Citing previous incidents, including the 2014 death of Nido Taniam and numerous assaults on north-eastern students and workers in metropolitan areas, the petition notes the Union government has acknowledged the problem in parliamentary responses. However, it maintains that no dedicated legislative or institutional framework exists to address racially motivated violence.

The plea points out that even the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, contain no statutory recognition of hate crimes or racial offences. Police are not required to record bias motivation when registering FIRs, nor do specialised investigative protocols or victim-protection mechanisms exist.

This legislative gap violates Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21 of the Constitution and undermines the constitutional value of fraternity, the petition submits.

The petition requests the court to formulate comprehensive guidelines until appropriate legislation is enacted, including recognition of racial slurs as a distinct category of hate crime with prescribed punishments. It also calls for establishing a nodal agency at the Central and state levels to register and address racial crimes, alongside dedicated special police units in every district and metropolitan area.

Additionally, the plea seeks directions for organising workshops, seminars, and debates in educational institutions to raise awareness and promote social harmony amongst diverse communities.