New Delhi: The family of Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, has questioned the Dehradun police for dismissing racial slurs as a motive behind his murder earlier this month in the state capital.The victim’s relatives described the police decision to rule out racial provocation as “premature and deeply dismissive.” Anjel and his younger brother, Michael, were allegedly attacked when they were buying groceries by a group of six men on December 9 after they objected to their disruptive behaviour. Michael, an eyewitness to the assault, stated that the attackers used racial slurs including “chinki,” “Chinese,” and “momo” before the confrontation turned violent. Anjel later succumbed to his injuries on December 26.“It’s not just about one word or one insult,” Michael was quoting as saying by The Times of India. “It’s about whether our voices are even considered valid when we speak.”Momen Chakma, the victim’s uncle, alleged that the police were choosing to ignore the testimony of the only eyewitness. He questioned how the police could issue public statements without completing a thorough investigation.The family further alleged a deliberate delay in the registration of the First Information Report (FIR). Tarun Prasad Chakma, Anjel’s father, mentioned that Michael attempted to file a complaint at the Selaqui police station on December 10, a day after the assault. “The officer refused to register an FIR, saying incidents like this happen every day,” Tarun Prasad alleged, as per TOI.Also read: Tripura Chakma Students Body Seeks Union Govt’s Intervention After Angel Chakma’s KillingThe Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP), Ajai Singh, denied these allegations during a press briefing on Tuesday (December 30). Singh submitted that there had been no delay in the process, stating that Michael lodged the complaint more than 24 hours after the incident. He explained that since the initial complaint alleged “casteist” slurs and the accused were unidentified, police had to verify details under legal provisions.“Police examined CCTV footage and interviewed people in the area before confirming that such an incident had taken place,” Singh said. He added that once verification was complete, a case was registered on December 12.Addressing the racial motive, Singh had earlier stated that since two of the six accused were from Manipur and Nepal, a racial motive appeared “unlikely.” He maintained that the police were gathering evidence to build a strong chargesheet and remained open to including additional information if the family shared it.Five (including two juveniles) out of six accused have been arrested. One accused Yagya Awasthi is absconding. The investigation is currently ongoing. Singh said that the police are focused on building a robust case before the chargesheet is filed in court.