Chakma case: Prime accused hiding in Nepal, say police

Dehradun: More than a month after Tripura youth Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student, was allegedly stabbed during a racially motivated attack in Dehradun's Selaqui area following a confrontation with a group of local youths -- an assault that later proved fatal -- the district police are yet to arrest the prime suspect, Yagya Awasthi, who is believed to be hiding in a border region of Nepal.Awasthi, a native of Nepal's Kanchanpur district, allegedly stabbed Chakma in the back during the attack on the evening of Dec 9. He fled soon after the incident and remains absconding, even as police have arrested five of the six accused in the case. The police have announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to his arrest. An officer associated with the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case said Awasthi is suspected to be hiding in Nepal's Sudurpashchim province, which borders Uttarakhand."His parents were earlier living in Haridwar's Har-Ki-Pauri area but left Uttarakhand after the incident. Tracking Awasthi has been difficult as he has not contacted his family and his phone has remained switched off since the attack. However, we have information that he is still in Nepal. We are coordinating with our counterparts there to arrest him," the officer said on condition of anonymity.Confirming the cross-border efforts, Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh said the SIT had sought assistance from Nepali agencies. "As per protocol in cross-border cases, we have contacted the Nepali agencies through the ministry of external affairs. We have received the required cooperation and coordination, and efforts are on to arrest him," the SSP said.