No evidence so far of racial abuse in Tripura student’s death, says Dehradun Police
Dehradun (PTI): The Dehradun Police on Tuesday said the probe into the death of Tripura student Anjel Chakma has so far found no evidence of racial abuse, and that the youth was assaulted after tempers flared up when he objected to some "banter" among the attackers who had come in a group to a liquor shop.
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Singh said the police had taken note of social media posts attributing a racial motive to the incident. "Our investigation so far has found no evidence of racial discrimination or violence," the SSP said.
He said that between December 9, the day of the incident, and December 26, when Anjel died, no complaints of racial abuse were made during interactions with the police. The SSP added that the FIR filed in the case "does not mention any allegations of racial bias."
Providing details of the incident that occurred in the Selaqui area, Singh said a birthday party was hosted on December 9 by one of the accused, Suraj Khwas, a resident of Manipur.
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"There was some banter among the guests. The victim’s side found certain remarks offensive, which led a dispute. In the fight that followed, Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael Chakma were injured. Anjel died during treatment at a hospital," the SSP said, adding that Anjel had suffered fatal injuries to his spine and neck in the incident.
The SSP said five of the six accused named in the FIR taken into custody. Two of them were found to be underage and sent to correction home, while three are under judicial custody. The other accused, Yagyraj Awasthi (22), a Nepalese national, who had earlier worked in Haridwar and other places, is absconding.
"Our teams are working to trace him," he said, adding that a bounty of Rs 25,000 has been announced on his name and a non-bailable warrant has been issued.
Singh said statements of local residents have been recorded and digital evidence, including CCTV footage, has been collected. "So far, no instance of any accused using racial slurs against the deceased has come to light," he said.
The SSP added that the investigation is being carried out fairly and in a transparent manner, and that strict legal action will be taken accordingly.
Anjel Chakma, a final-year MBA student at a private university here, was seriously injured when he was allegedly attacked by some youngsters with a knife and a bracelet on December 9. He died on December 26, after being hospitalised for 17 days.
His father, a BSF jawan currently posted in Tangjeng in Manipur, had alleged that his son was "brutally attacked" when he tried to defend his brother, who faced racial slurs and was called "Chinese" by the attackers.
The assailants called his sons "Chinese momo" and hurled other racial abuses, the father of the victim told PTI over the phone. Anjel told them that he "was also Indian, not Chinese" but they attacked him with knives and blunt objects, the devastated father said.
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First-ever life-size Vivekananda statue in US unveiled in Seattle
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New York (PTI): The first-ever life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda in the US was unveiled in Seattle, honouring the renowned Indian philosopher and spiritual leader.
The life-size bronze statue, installed at the busy Westlake Square in downtown Seattle, is the first such installation hosted by a city government anywhere in the US, officials said.
Sculpted by Indian artist Naresh Kumar Kumawat, it was jointly unveiled on Saturday by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Consul General of India in Seattle Prakash Gupta.
"From Chicago 1893 to Seattle 2026! Seattle's skyline has a new Indian icon: Swami Vivekananda! City of Seattle becomes the first city government to host the Swami Vivekananda Monument in the heart of downtown Seattle," the Consulate General of India in Seattle said in a social media post.
Addressing the event, Wilson said the monument reflects Seattle's inclusive spirit and strengthens cultural ties between India and the diverse metropolitan tech hub in the US Pacific Northwest.
The statue has been gifted by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the City of Seattle in recognition of its "in recognition of the city’s rich multicultural character and spirit of inclusivity", the Indian mission in Seattle said in a statement.
The unveiling of the statue was held on the occasion of the celebration of ICCR Day and is part of India's broader cultural diplomacy initiatives aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties between India and the US Pacific Northwest, the Consulate said.
Located at the bustling Westlake Square, which sees over 400,000 visitors daily, the monument stands near prominent landmarks including the Amazon headquarters ‘Spheres’, the Seattle Convention Centre and the Seattle Centre Monorail.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by several local leaders, including mayors from cities in the Greater Seattle area, community representatives and members of the Indian-American diaspora.
Swami Vivekananda had delivered his historic address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, introducing Hindu philosophy to a global audience.
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