Agartala, Dec 27: Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old from Tripura, died on December 25 at a local hospital, 16 days after a violent attack in Selakui reportedly triggered by racial slurs. Police have arrested five suspects, while one Nepalese national involved in the assault remains at large.

The attack occurred on the evening of December 9 when Angel and his brother Michel were shopping for household items. According to an FIR filed by Michel on December 12, a group of intoxicated men verbally abused Angel using racial slurs. When he objected, the men allegedly beat him with a knife and a rod, inflicting severe injuries to his head and neck.

Michel admitted his brother to a private hospital but expressed fear of reprisals from the “influential” attackers. Despite medical care, Angel succumbed to his injuries, sources confirmed. His father, a BSF jawan from the Northeast, collected the body for rites in their hometown.

Dehradun SSP Ajay Singh said four of the arrested men are natives of Uttarakhand, and one is from Manipur. “Assault charges in the initial FIR will now include murder. Proceedings against the fugitive are in progress,” he stated.