‘I was ready to sell my kidney to save my son,’ says grieving father of Anjel Chakma

The brutal killing of 24-year-old MBA student Anjel Chakma of Tripura following an alleged racially motivated attack in Dehradun has left his family devastated, with his grieving father demanding the death penalty for those responsible and revealing that he was prepared to sell his kidney to save his son’s life.

Anjel Chakma died after being attacked on December 9 in Dehradun, where he was pursuing his MBA. According to reports, Anjel and his younger brother Michael were assaulted by a group of men after they allegedly made racial remarks at them. Anjel succumbed to his injuries after nearly 17 days of treatment.

Speaking after his son’s funeral in Agartala, Anjel’s father, Tarun Prasad Chakma, recounted the sequence of events that led to the tragedy. He said both his sons had gone to Dehradun for higher studies, with Anjel enrolled in an MBA programme and his younger son pursuing graduation.

“At the time of the incident, I was posted in Manipur with the Border Security Force,” Tarun Prasad said. “On the night of December 9, my younger son called me and told me that some people had assaulted his elder brother and asked me to come immediately. That night, I could not sleep. I cried a lot.”

He said he informed his company commander the next morning and sought urgent leave after learning that his son was admitted to the ICU. Tarun Prasad travelled from Imphal to Delhi by flight and then drove to Dehradun, reaching the hospital late that night.

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“When I reached the hospital, my son was in the ICU,” he said, adding that he approached the police the following day to lodge a complaint and requested them to examine CCTV footage from the area.

According to him, the footage showed six youths arriving on a scooty and a motorcycle near the spot where his sons had stopped to buy vegetables. He alleged that the youths made racial remarks, calling his sons “Chini” and “Momo”. When the brothers protested and asserted that they were Indians, the situation escalated into violence.

“They attacked my younger son from behind with a metal object. When Anjel tried to protect him and questioned them, they stabbed him and also struck him on the back of his neck. One side of my son’s body became paralysed,” he said.

Anjel remained under treatment for over two weeks, but his condition did not improve. His father alleged that despite repeated pleas to doctors, including offering to sell his kidney to arrange money for treatment, his son could not be saved.

“I begged the doctors to do everything possible. I even told them I would sell my kidney if needed,” he said. “They said they would try their best, but after 17 days of treatment, my son died.”

Demanding exemplary punishment, Tarun Prasad Chakma said the accused must face the strictest action. “I want justice for my son. The criminals should be given the death penalty,” he said.

The killing has triggered outrage in Tripura and other Northeastern states, once again raising concerns over the safety of students from the region studying in other parts of the country.