Guwahati: Activists from the Indian National Students’ Union (NSUI) staged a foot march in Dehradun on Saturday, calling for strict action in the death of Tripura student Anjel Chakma.
It also raised concerns about student safety in Uttarakhand.
The march started at the Dehradun Municipal Corporation and concluded at the District Magistrate’s office, where participants submitted a memorandum calling for immediate justice.
The student body said the attack had deeply unsettled the academic community and pointed to shortcomings in law enforcement, citing delays and insufficient measures against the suspects.
This demonstration followed a candlelight vigil organised by NSUI at Jantar Mantar on December 30.
NSUI president Varun Choudhary accused the BJP and the RSS of creating an environment that normalises violence, claiming that lynching incidents had become routine in states under BJP rule.
He criticised the authorities for taking nearly two weeks to respond. Police, however, said significant progress had been made in the investigation.
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh stated that five of the accused had been arrested, while efforts are continuing to locate a sixth suspect who remains at large.
The person on the run, reportedly of Nepali origin, left the area a day after the attack and is believed to be hiding near border regions.
A special team has been assigned to trace him.
Singh added that additional charges, including attempted murder, had been applied following initial findings.
The case has been assigned to a senior gazetted officer, and the victim’s family has provided statements.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has been briefed, and senior police officials, including the DGP, are closely monitoring the case.
Anjel Chakma, an MBA student, was attacked with knives and blunt instruments in Dehradun on December 9 and later died in hospital.
Police said the victim’s brother and friends filed a complaint roughly a day after the attack, leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects.