Tipra Motha Party founder and Tripura’s royal scion, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, on Monday strongly criticized the Uttarakhand government for announcing a cash reward of only Rs 25,000 for information on the main suspect in the murder of Anjel Chakma.

Expressing outrage, Pradyot questioned the value placed on the life of the 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura’s Unakoti district, who was allegedly killed in Dehradun on December 9.

“Is this the value of Anjel Chakma’s life? Is this a joke?” Pradyot asked, reacting to reports that the Uttarakhand government had announced a Rs 25,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s whereabouts.

Anjel Chakma was attacked after he objected to alleged racial slurs directed at his younger brother, Michael Chakma. He later succumbed to his injuries, triggering widespread outrage in Tripura and beyond.

Condemning what he termed an insensitive response by the state government, Pradyot announced a reward of ₹10 lakh from his personal funds for information leading to the arrest of the main accused.

“If a state government can declare a reward of just Rs 25,000, then I will offer Rs 10 lakh from my own pocket. But don’t make a mockery of our people,” he said.

The incident has reignited concerns over the safety of students from the Northeast in other parts of the country and the need for stricter action against racial discrimination and violence.